Teaching and research of the Chair of International Trade and European Integration focus on the consequences of the increasing global and regional integration of markets for goods, services, and factors of production. This analysis is based on economic methodologies. Through our teaching and research, we aim to find answers to current questions in the areas of economic policy and strategic planning. Furthermore, we are interested in the relationship between Switzerland and the European Union (EU), with special regard to the developments of the EU and Europe, as well as the tense relationship between multilateralism and regionalism.

Further Information

• Dragan Filimonovic, M.Sc.
• Augustin Ignatov
• Christian Rutzer, Dr. rer. pol.
• Beat Spirig, Dr. rer. pol.

Further Information

We have established cooperations with renowned scholars from various places, including the University of Rochester (USA), the University of Calgary (Canada), and Chapman University (USA).

• 1960: Born and raised in the Swiss Appenzellerland-region

• 1984: Licentiate in Economics at the University of St. Gallen

• 1985-1986: Staff member in the field of planning and controlling at Ciba-Geigy AG

• 1986-1991: Doctoral Candidate and Project Assistant at the University of Basel

• 1991-1993: Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

• 1993-1996: Senior Researcher and Lecturer (Oberassistent) at the Faculty of Business Economics at the University of Basel

• August 1996: Habilitation at the Faculty of the Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Basel

• 1996-1998: Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

• 1998-2004: Establishment of an internal training program at UBS (UBS Wealth Management Education)

• Since Fall 2000: Full Professor for Economics and European Integration at the University of Basel

Further Information

• Jones, Ronald W. and Weder, Rolf (2017)(Eds.), 200 Years of Ricardian Trade Theory. Challenges of Globalization, Cham: Springer International.
• Lewrick, Ulf, Mohler, Lukas and Weder, Rolf (2016), “Trade in Variety and Domestic Production: Evidence from U.S. Manufacturing”, Canadian Journal of Economics, 49(4), 1631-1657.
• Spirig, Beat und Weder, Rolf (2011), Von Rosinen und anderen Spezialitäten. Die Schweiz und die EU, Zürich: Verlag Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
• Spirig, Beat and Weder, Rolf (2008), "To Wait or Not to Wait: Swiss EU-Membership as an Investment Under Uncertainty", Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, 144, 1, 85-114.
• Benarroch, Michael and Weder, Rolf (2006), "Intra-Industry Trade in Intermediates, Pollution and Internationally Increasing Returns", Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2006, 52, 675-689.
• Schmitt, Nicolas and Weder, Rolf (1998), "Sunk Costs and Cartel Formation: Theory and Application to the Dyestuff Industry", Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 36 (August), 197-220.
• Dewald Michael and Weder, Rolf (1996), "Comparative Advantage and Bilateral Foreign Aid Policy", World Development, 24, 3, 549-556.
• Weder, Rolf (1995), "Linking Absolute and Comparative Advantage to Intra-Industry Trade Theory", Review of International Economics, 3, 3, 342-354.

Further Information

Regarding the supervision of Master Theses in European Global Studies, I am happy to consider any issues which are related to regional integration (such as European Integration) and globalization as long as the questions are analyzed to some extent from the perspective of (political) economic theory—particularly, the theories of international trade, public choice and environmental economics. These issues, for example, include:

• The effects of globalization on countries and individual agents within countries
• Tensions between regional and multilateral integration
• The political and economic relationship between Switzerland and the EU
• Reforms of the EU and the WTO, Alternatives to the EU in Europe
• International trade and the environment
• Challenges for multinational companies  

Please also have a look at my homepage where you find my own and my team’s recent publications.

Also, I frequently publish concrete topics that may be suitable for students’ research projects.

More information about events, media statements, and much more is available on the website of the Faculty of Business and Economics.