Principal Staff
Phil Rourke
Phil Rourke has 25 years of experience in delivering professional training courses and institutional capacity building projects on trade policy and negotiation issues in all regions of the world. He is a lecturer in trade policy and trade negotiations at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) at Carleton University and the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa.
Currently, Phil is Project Director for the Canadian Trade and Investment Facility for Development (CTIF), a seven-year technical assistance fund to assist Asia-Pacific developing countries with their trade and development strategies. He is also Project Director for the Expert Deployment Mechanism for Trade and Development (EDM), a seven-year technical assistance fund to assist Canada’s developing country trading partners with the design, negotiation, and implementation of their trade agreement strategies with Canada. Phil is co-instructor with Rosemina in CTPL’s trade negotiation courses for the UK Department for Business and Trade. From September 2020 to June 2021, he was also International Co-Trainer on the EU Arise Plus Project for Cambodia, supported by the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ). Phil holds an M.B.A from Queen’s University in Kingston (1992) and an M.A. in International Affairs from Carleton University (1989).
Rosemina Nathoo
Rosemina Nathoo has 23 years of experience in law, trade negotiations, international development, issues management at the political level, and strategic planning. She designs and delivers executive-level training programs for government officials and trade policy practitioners on how to conduct trade negotiations, how to negotiate draft text; and advises governments on the implementation of the trade policy strategies. As Director of UK Programs, Rosemina leads the implementation of the Trade Negotiations Skills Training Project with UK’s Department for Business and Trade.
At CTPL, Rosemina has served as International Legal Counsel, Associate Director, and Director of the trade law components of capacity building projects in Africa, Central America, China, Russia and Bangladesh. She is a lecturer in trade negotiations at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) at Carleton University. She was invited to be part of the African Union Commission’s Expert Review Group that advised on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) negotiations. From September 2020 to June 2021, she was also International Co-Trainer on the EU Arise Plus Project for Cambodia, supported by the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ).
Rosemina also enjoyed the privilege of working on Canada’s Parliament Hill as Chief of Staff on the Intergovernmental Affairs and Labour Ministerial portfolios. She is a Barrister & Solicitor with the Law Society of Ontario. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Ottawa (2000) and an M.A. in International Affairs from Carleton University (1999).
Lisa Scheltema
Lisa is the Project Manager at the Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CTPL). She joined CTPL in 2001 as the Financial Assistant, and has held various positions at CTPL since starting with the Centre.
Lisa is also responsible for working closely with our partners on administrative and financial matters.
She graduated from Carleton University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree.
Academic Advisor
Meredith Lilly
Meredith Lilly (PhD, University of Toronto) is the Simon Reisman Chair in International Economic Policy and Associate Professor of International Affairs at Carleton University.
She previously served as Foreign Affairs and International Trade Advisor to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, overseeing within the Prime Minister’s Office the conclusion of Canada’s free-trade negotiations with the European Union, South Korea, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership among others. Her research is focused on North American trade relations, the intersection of trade policy with labour and environment, economic sanctions, and border issues. Dr. Lilly is a member of the Advisory Council of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, the Deputy Minister of Trade’s Advisory Council on International Trade, and the North American Forum.