The Centre for International Cooperation and Development (Center za Mednarodno Sodelovanje in Razvoj - CMSR) from Slovenia - the first Vi think tank member from a transition economy -  has joined our network.
 
CMSR is an independent non-profit research and advisory institution working in the field of international economic relations. It was jointly established by the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovene Export and Development Bank. Eleven staff members currently support CMSR activities.

On November 14, the Secretary-General of UNCTAD, Supachai Panitchpakdi, decided to merge the activities of the Virtual Institute with those of the Global Network of Development Think Tanks, established in 2008 by the member States of UNCTAD, and managed by the Division of Globalization and Development Strategies, where the Vi now resides.

"Through the integration of UNCTAD's work with universities and research centres, UNCTAD will continue to support the development of local teaching and research capacities in member countries and cooperation among academic institutions and between researchers and policymakers," wrote Panitchpakdi.

Two think tanks have already answered the call to take part in the Vi network.

As Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization nears, and regionalization efforts intensify, Alexandra Koval, Senior Lecturer at St. Petersburg State University (SPSU), looked at the phenomenon of forum shopping for dispute settlement during her Vi fellowship, December 5-16.

"Russia has an integration process -- the customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan -- and I am interested in the dispute settlement experience of Latin America, with NAFTA and MERCOSUR," Koval said. "There's not much research in this field now."

The Vi’s first-ever videoconference research seminar, held December 19, involved 15 students of a graduate course on International IT business, at Vi Russian affiliate member, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).

UNCTAD Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) expert, Diana Korka, facilitated the interactive debate focusing on the development of the information technologies sector, particularly in emerging countries. Vi Chief, Vlasta Macku, moderated the videoconference.

Senior Economist, Mahmoud Elkhafif, of the Division on Globalization and Development Strategies (DGDS), participated in a seminar on financial crises and international exchange rate arrangements, organized by Vi member, the University of Jordan (UJ), on December 15.

Elkhafif’s visit, which included lectures related to international finance and globalization for professors and 38 Master’s and PhD students of the Department of Business Economics, was one of the academic activities conducted at UJ with the support of the WTO Chair program and the UNCTAD Virtual Institute.