We were honoured to host a distinguished delegation from the Embassy of Sweden in Tanzania, SIDA HQ and the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The visit aimed to deepen understanding of the Centre’s programs and initiatives, which have been instrumental in shaping Africa’s trade landscape and explore options for upscaling them.
Since its inception in 2006, trapca has emerged as a leading centre of excellence in trade and development capacity building. The centre’s focus areas encompass trade negotiations, trade policy, trade law, and trade facilitation. In recent years, trapca has expanded its academic and executive programs to address emerging issues, including social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
The delegation comprised:
- Ulf Källstig – Head of Africa Department (SIDA)
- Per Karlston – Development Analyst, Africa Department (SIDA)
- Tomas Brundin – Head of Unit, Africa Department (Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Sweden)
- Mikael Ståhl – Head of Communication, Trade Promotion & Political Affairs (Embassy of Sweden)
- Sandra Diesel – Head of Development Cooperation (Embassy of Sweden)
- Brasio Msugu – Program Officer, Private Sector Development (Embassy of Sweden)
The visit underscored the enduring partnership between ESAMI-trapca and Sweden, which spans nearly two decades. This collaboration has been pivotal in developing international trade capacity in Africa through a range of certificate, diploma, and master’s programs. Over 5000 participants have benefited from these programs, with over 600 graduates earning Lund University-accredited MSc degrees in International Trade Policy and Trade Law and the rest earning certificates and diplomas in various aspects of international trade.
As trapca continues its mission to bridge Africa’s trade capacity gap, the Centre looks forward to Sweden’s sustained support in shaping a prosperous and sustainable future for the continent.
