The 28th edition of the Model WTO was held from March 26 to April 2, 2025, in St. Gallen and Geneva. Seventy-two students from over thirty countries participated, representing different economies across six committees focused on key global issues.

Mustafa Kamal Alkhyyat, a Master’s student of International Economy and Business at SZTE GTK, proudly represented the United States in the Committee on Small Economies, Labour Mobility, and Remittances.

 

“Participating in the Model WTO was a truly transformative experience. Throughout the negotiations, we tackled critical issues such as labour mobility, multilateral recognition of qualifications, technical assistance, and reducing remittance costs. What seemed simple at first quickly revealed deeper complexities, sparking dynamic debates and pushing us to develop creative, collaborative solutions.” — Mustafa Kamal

 

During the first three days, negotiations took place at the University of St. Gallen, where Mustafa and fellow committee members engaged in intense discussions to draft a joint resolution addressing the needs of small economies.

 

Following the negotiations, delegates traveled to Geneva. As a U.S. delegate, Mustafa had the opportunity to:

• Visit the U.S. Mission to the WTO and participate in a private discussion with American diplomats, gaining firsthand insights into real-world multilateral diplomacy.
• Tour the World Trade Organization Headquarters, where participants received feedback from WTO trade diplomats on their proposals and attended a panel discussion featuring ambassadors, focused on the needs and challenges of small economies in the global trading system.

“I am grateful to the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration (SZTE GTK) for their support, and to Dr. Sarolta Somosi for bringing this opportunity to my attention and encouraging me throughout the application process. I would also like to thank Dr. Wycliffe Obwori for his guidance, as well as Ms. Melinda Kovács and Ms. Luca Csák for their support and encouragement.” — Mustafa Kamal

 

Mustafa encourages GTK students interested in international trade, negotiation, and diplomacy to consider applying for future editions of Model WTO:

“Beyond building negotiation skills, Model WTO offered me the chance to collaborate with brilliant peers from all over the world, deepen my understanding of complex global challenges, and make connections that will last a lifetime.”