Three separate WTO-sponsored awards were presented at the TRADE-WTO awards function held in July 2016 at the NWU: the best PhD thesis, the best WTO-related paper and the most promising Honours student at TRADE. These awards aim to recognise and encourage excellent scholarship and research on WTO-related themes.

Dr Carike Claassen received the award for the best PhD thesis, titled: 'The state of decoupling before and during the Great Recession'.

Ms Danielle Le Clus-Rossouw, Prof Wilma Viviers and Prof Elsabe Loots received the award for the best research paper, titled: 'Is there a link between BRIC foreign direct investment and SADC export performance?'

Ms Roxanne Snyman received the award for the most promising Honours student in International Trade in 2015 following some excellent academic results during the first semester of the year.