Manfred Elsig

Manfred Elsig is a Professor of International Relations and Deputy Managing Director at the World Trade Institute (WTI) of the University of Bern, where he also serves as Director of Research. He previously led the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Trade Regulation from 2013-2017.

• Education: Studied Political Science at the Universities of Bern and Bordeaux, earned a PhD (Dr Phil) from the University of Zurich in 2002 with a dissertation on EU trade policy.
• Career Highlights: Worked at the Swiss Federal Office for Foreign Economic Affairs (1997–1999), UBS financial services (2002–2004), and held academic posts at the London School of Economics (2004–2005), Graduate Institute Geneva (2005–2009), and as Assistant Professor at WTI (2009–2013).

Research Focus: Specializes in the politics of international trade, regional trade agreements, European trade policy, international organizations, US-EU relations, and the role of private actors in global governance. Publications appear in top journals such as International Studies Quarterly, European Journal of International Relations, and World Trade Review.

Teaching: Offers courses on international political economy, international relations theories, global institutions, and research methods at institutions including the University of Zurich, Geneva, and Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Administration & Outreach: Oversees research operations at WTI. For administrative inquiries, contact Sophia Thompson; media requests via Sam Suarez.