Three separate WTO-sponsored awards as well as one TRADE award were presented at the TRADE-WTO awards function held at the NWU on 1 June 2017. The WTO awards were for the best Master's degree dissertation in International Trade, the best article on a WTO-related topic and the most promising Honours student in International Trade. The TRADE award was for the best article in the TRADE research entity. These awards aim to recognise and encourage excellent scholarship and research on WTO-related themes.

Mr Mario Bondesio received the award for the best Master's degree dissertation in International Trade in 2016, titled: 'Determining the market accessibility of South African exports'.

Prof Marianne Matthee, Ms Tasha Naughtin, Mr Thomas Farole and Prof Neil Rankin received the award for the best research paper on a WTO-relate topic in 2016, titled: 'South African exporters and the global crisis: intensive margin shock, extensive margin hangover'.

Ms Leoné du Toit Snyman received the award for the most promising Honours student in International Trade in 2017 following some excellent academic results during the first semester of the year.

Dr Johnny van der Merwe, Prof Flippie Cloete and Dr Marinka van der Hoeven received the award for the best article in the TRADE research entity in 2016, titled: 'Promoting food security through indigenous and traditional food crops'.