Press releases

IE University and the International Trade Centre launch Scholarship Program to empower Women in Trade

10 January 2020
ITC News
New scholarship to provide talented women with opportunity to study Executive Master in Internationalization and Trade at IE's School of Global and Public Affairs.

Madrid, 9 January 2020 – IE Foundation, IE School of Global and Public Affairs and the International Trade Centre (ITC) have launched a new scholarship program that will empower women working in trade and business expansion in developing countries.

The purpose of this new scholarship, jointly funded by ITC and IE Foundation, is to provide talented women with an opportunity to study the Executive Master in Internationalization and Trade at the School of Global and Public Affairs of IE, a world-class international university recognized by the quality and innovation of its programs.

Inspired by the International Trade Centre’s SheTrades initiative, this scholarship was founded on the belief that women’s economic empowerment is not a matter limited to government policy or the private sector, but a shared social responsibility. The SheTrades initiative, active across the world in countries from Africa to Asia, the Middle East to the Caribbean, and Latin America, helps female entrepreneurs to enhance their skills and business knowledge, grow their organizations and stay up to date with market trends.

The scholarship will help women increase the value of the businesses they represent and work for, expand the markets they have access to and help them connect with potential partners, buyers and investors.

ITC Executive Director Arancha González said: “At ITC we are extremely pleased to see our partnership with IE School of Global and Public Affairs coming to fruition with the launch of this Executive Master in Internationalization and Trade and the launch of this scholarship aimed at enabling more women in developing countries to benefit.”

“Today, more than ever, there is a need to better understand the mechanisms of trade in the 21st century and to help policymakers and businesses navigate an increasingly complex landscape. Through this scholarship program, designed to enable women in trade to take the Executive Master, we aim to advance this effort further and ensure that it is also inclusive,” she added.

Every year, the scholarship will offer funding to six candidates working in trade and business. Candidates may be civil servants, staff of a trade or investment support institution or business, who have demonstrated outstanding professional and academic development and achievement, and who seek to further increase their impact in the industry.

“We are extremely proud to partner once again with ITC and to support its SheTrades initiative by bringing talented women from developing countries to the Master in Internationalization and Trade. This scholarship will empower a cohort of highly performing female leaders in trade and business expansion,” stressed Manuel Muñiz, Dean of IE School of Global and Public Affairs.

“IE Foundation shares a strong commitment towards gender equality. Every year, thanks to our donors and partners, we engage in creating specific scholarships exclusively to helping women continue on their path to excellence,” highlighted Geoffroy Gérard, Managing Director of IE Foundation.

Gérard pointed out that “thanks to this joint scholarship program with ITC for a leading program of IE School of Global and Public Affairs, we look forward to gathering the best talent from developing countries and impact positively their careers and the international trade sector”.

About ITC:
The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

About IE University
IE University offers a technology-based learning ecosystem for leaders making a difference in the world through innovation, global vision, an entrepreneurial mindset and a Humanities-based approach. IE's faculty includes more than 500 professors who teach degree and master's programs, doctorates and executive training to students from 131 countries.

About The Program:
The Executive Master in Internationalization and Trade at IE School of Global and Public Affairs has been designed in partnership with the International Trade Centre (ITC), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) to provide students with a challenging curriculum focused on core trade essentials, business skills and international systems. Its first cohort will start in March and it will be offered in a blended format with a duration of 15 months. It will combine interactive asynchronous and synchronous online sessions with three 1-2 weeks face-to-face residential periods in Madrid and Geneva.

The program includes practical frameworks and tools that combine several technical areas, such as finance, operations and logistics, law and regulation, technology and digitalization, sustainability, and geopolitics.

For more information, please refer to the SheTrades Scholarship Program and Flyer.