NPSIA, Carleton University
Law and International Affairs
This is a practical, skills-based course that provides a working knowledge of the core principles of public international law. International law is a significant domestic and international policy concern and a key component of state, civil society and academic discourse. Although its principles do not necessarily determine state action, there is nonethelessno area of international affairs that is not affected by international law.
Understanding the nexus between international law and international affairs is fundamental to effective policy analysis and advocacy, as well as meaningful participation in international negotiations and decision-making.
The course is divided into five modules:
- Nexus between International Law and International Affairs
- Sources of International Law
- Subjects of International Law
- Jurisdiction
- Application
Participants will benefit from understanding international law and its policy implications, grounded in fundamentaldisciplinary concepts. More specifically, gaining knowledge of core principles of international law will substantially strengthen one’s ability to conduct (or support) effective treaty negotiations and to function in a governmental or non-governmental policy environment.
The Practice of Trade Negotiations
This is a skills-based course on how to design and implement a government’s trade negotiations strategy. The course will examine each stage in trade negotiations, using real-life cases and simulations to apply the knowledge learned. Practical examples will be drawn from both developed and developing countries. The course is based on the experience of current and former trade negotiators and diplomats from Canada, the US, the UK, Russia, Africa, the Caribbean, and several Latin American and Asian countries.
The course consists of eight sessions on how to prepare for, and negotiate, an international trade agreement that advances a country’s commercial and socio-economic interests. The remaining four sessions is a capstone trade negotiation simulation to integrate the knowledge and skills development from the earlier sessions. The simulation is based on a bilateral trade negotiation taking place in real time during the course delivery. Students will be asked to develop and implement a trade negotiation strategy for selected chapters in these bilateral negotiations.
Trade, Development and Diplomacy in Practice – Geneva Study Tour
This is a practical, skills development course on how to design, negotiate and implement a national trade and development strategy with a particular focus on Canada. The course combines short lectures, exercises, and simulations. This experiential approach provides students with opportunities to both apply what’s learned in class and to practice how they might serve as a trade and development expert in a career in government, international organizations or the non-profit sector.
The course has both an online component and a study tour component. The course begins with the online component which consists of 4 three-hour evening sessions prior to the study tour. It is then followed by a five-day study tour in Geneva, Switzerland. Students are responsible for all their travel and related costs to participate in the study tour. The online sessions will provide participants with the background to engage fully in the study tour component of the course. The sessions will focus on how to design and implement an effective trade, development and diplomacy (TDD) strategy from both a developed and developing country perspective.
GPSIA, University of Ottawa
Trade Policy in Practice
This is a practical, skills development course on how to become an effective trade policy analyst for a career in government, international organisations, or the private or nonprofit sectors. The course examines Canada’s place in the global trading system, the practice of Canadian trade policy and the role of trade policy within the broader context of Canadian policymaking and implementation. The course uses an experiential learning approach to delivery: classes consist of short presentations, group discussions, case exercises and simulations. The focus of each class is on how to apply what is learned in a real-life job situation. While the content is trade policy, the course provides analytical tools and develops skills that can equally be applied to the practice of other areas of domestic and international public policy.
Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa
Strategic Trade Policy and Trade Negotiations
This is a skills development-oriented course on how to design, negotiate and implement a government’s international trade strategy. The course is highly interactive, using the simulation of a negotiation of chapters in a prospective bilateral trade negotiation to get practical experience on how to negotiate a modern trade agreement.
The classes combine lectures with case studies, presentations, and discussions on the fundamentals of trade agreements, trade policy formulation, trade negotiations and trade strategy. In preparation for the simulation, students will be provided with practical instruction on negotiation strategies and techniques, and direction on how to formulate and execute strategies to achieve negotiating objectives. These overviews will be complemented by presentations by briefings on the negotiating issues to be addressed during the simulation. Students will be assigned to one of two country teams for the simulation. Each student will take on the role of subject matter expert, lead negotiator on a particular issue, or Chief Negotiator on each team.