Within the agenda of a short visit to Vietnam at the invitation of the Vietnamese Government, on the afternoon of May 18, 2023, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala – General Director of the World Trade Organization (WTO) visited Foreign Language University and had a talk a with lecturers and students of the University. Welcoming and attending the event, on the side of Foreign Trade University, there were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Anh Tuan – Secretary of the Party Committee, President of the University; Assoc. Dr. Le Thi Thu Thuy – Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairwoman of the University Council; Assoc. Dr. Trinh Thi Thu Huong – Deputy Dean of the School of Economics and International Business, Director of the WTO Program at Foreign Trade University.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Anh Tuan – Secretary of the Party Committee, President of the University gave a welcome speech at the event
During the welcome speech, Assoc. Prof, Dr. Bui Anh Tuan expressed his gratitude for the presence of the WTO Director General at Foreign Trade University and introduced the University as a public university specializing in training for students in the fields of economics, foreign trade, foreign affairs, international trade, international economics, business administration, law, finance and banking, accounting and auditing, commercial language. The university is one of the ones that constantly train on international trade and is the first educational institution in Vietnam to train in foreign economics and international economic integration, providing high-quality human resources for state agencies as well as enterprises when participating in international trade and investment activities. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a global financial expert, economist and international development expert with over 30 years of experience working in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America.
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala – Director General of WTO – gave the opening speech
Right after the warm greetings from Foreign Trade University, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala – General Director of WTO – also delivered the opening speech in which she thanked for the opportunity to visit Foreign Trade University – one of the leading universities in Vietnam. The WTO Director-General assessed that Vietnam was a great example of a country that had achieved many achievements in economic growth and social development thanks to the benefits of free trade and globalization in recent years. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, she emphasized that Foreign Trade University had partly contributed to this success of Vietnam through its training activities, research and policy consultation over the past decades. She reviewed some recent achievements in the framework of the WTO, such as the development of common trade rules among member countries, especially recently the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, the international trade rounds to develop links related to digital and green trade, and affirmed that Vietnam needs to actively participate in these developments.
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala – Director General of WTO and Assoc. Dr. Trinh Thi Thu Huong, Director of the WTO Chair Program – Foreign Trade University discussed with lecturers and students about current issues in international trade.
The second part of the exchange was an opportunity for the Director General of WTO and Assoc. Dr. Trinh Thi Thu Huong, Director of the WTO Chair Program at Foreign Trade University discussed with lecturers and students of the University about current issues in international trade, emphasizing the rebirth of globalization and the role of global supply chains, including (i) the impact of the re-globalization landscape on global supply chains and (ii) the role of the WTO on supply chain resilience response to Vietnam and (iii) the provisions of the new generation FTAs and their impact on countries, especially developing countries.
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala – WTO Director General took a photo with all staff, lecturers and students of Foreign Trade University
The lecturers, students and guests at the Exchange posed many questions to the WTO Director General about the WTO’s role, opportunities, knowledge, lessons and promotions for developing countries, including Vietnam, to participate more deeply in the global supply chain, trade and investment, especially in the current rapidly changing, unpredictable and challenging international geopolitical, economic and social context.
The talk at Foreign Trade University of the Director General of WTO once again affirms the University’s leading position in research, training and policy consulting in the field of trade and international economic integration. Most recently, at the end of 2021, the University participated in WTO activities within the framework of the WTO Chair Program when officially being one of 17 academic institutions worldwide and also the first educational institution in Vietnam to be selected to participate in the network of WTO Chair Program phase 3.
