From international to comparative private law, from foundational frameworks to new technologies, this comprehensive Master’s prepares students for a variety of careers in the field. Take advantage of a unique partnership of institutions, academics and legal professionals to grip the complexity of the laws of global trade.
Introduction to the Master
This Master aims to provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the main legal issues concerning international commercial contracts, from contract drafting to dispute resolution, with emphasis on recent developments and the increasing complexity of contract law, including the impact of new technologies and the role of compliance for MNEs. It also covers the key international institutional and legal frameworks for international trade and investment, and incorporates a dedicated module on international dispute settlement, international commercial arbitration and transnational domestic litigation.
Who attends this Master?
This Master’s has been designed for recent university graduates who intend to work in the field of international trade law, for example in law firms, corporate legal departments, governments, international organizations, and academic or research institutions. Law consultants, practitioners, and young managers wishing to expand their knowledge in the field of international trade law would also benefit.
Background
From 1991 to 2010 the International Training Centre of the ILO, the University of Turin, and the University Institute of European Studies (IUSE), in collaboration with other world-class universities, offered a shortened version of this Master as a postgraduate course in international trade law.
It was expanded and upgraded to a Master of Laws in International Trade in 2010-2011. This decision was taken in recognition of the increasing demand for higher levels of legal specialization and career development in the field of international trade and coincided with the decision to establish the Turin School of Development as a unique mechanism for the delivery of joint UN-academic Masters.
UNCITRAL – a historical partner – endorsed the new Master and accepted the status of a full partner in 2010 while UNIDROIT joined the Master as a partner in 2019.
In addition, international organizations such as WTO, UNCTAD, EU, and ICC, as well as renowned universities, have played an important role in the Master and delegated officials and faculty members respectively to join the Scientific Committee and/or to participate in the Master delivery.
What are the topics?
Students gain the fundamental tools and competencies needed to handle the complexities of international commercial transactions.
- Compliance with trade-related transnational and international sets of rules
- Negotiation, drafting, and management of international commercial contracts
- International dispute resolution and arbitration
- During this first phase, while being trained on perspectives, actors and sources of international trade, students will be given basic or more in-depth knowledge on issues, which will be covered in or will be complementary to the Face-to-Face Phase, respectively.
- During this phase, participants will have access to an online platform, through which they will be given the materials, send their assignments and interact in forums as a class, while receiving advisory support from a dedicated tutor. Assessment will be carried out on a regular basis and upon arrival in Turin.
What will I learn?
The Master’s is structured in three parts: online learning, residential classes, and an individual paper.
- All about the legal issues concerning international commercial contracts
- Key institutional and legal frameworks for international trade
- How to prevent, mediate, and settle international disputes
- The important impact of new technologies on the global trade environment
What will I be able to do?
This intensive, year-long Master’s combines online and residential work for students at different stages of their careers.
- Leverage legal knowledge in the field of international trade law and transnational contract law
- Utilize competencies for international public, private, and comparative legal analysis
- Negotiate and draft contracts and plan for dispute resolution
Why should I enrol?
Students learn by studying, collaborating, and observing practitioners in action.
- Students visit international organizations that work on international trade law in Geneva, Switzerland.
- Dedicated tutors are available to answer questions and provide support throughout the learning journey.
- Teaching methodologies include lectures, workshops, case studies, and moot courts, as well as an online platform for readings, videos, and exercises.
Faculty
The core faculty of the Master’s is composed of:
- law professors from renowned universities worldwide
- professionals and law consultants from international law firms and legal departments of international corporations
- experts and officials from UNCITRAL, UNIDROIT, ITC-ILO, WTO, ICC, EU and other international organizations
The combination of academic resource persons and legal practitioners is a distinctive feature of this Master which enables smooth integration of theory with practice.
Participants will benefit from the support and involvement of Module coordinators and dedicated tutors who will assist and advise them throughout the learning period.