The Multilateralist
Robert D. Anderson
Part-time academic; independent consultant and trainer
About Robert
Robert Anderson is a part-time academic, independent consultant and trainer on matters relating to competition policy, government procurement, intellectual property and the multilateral trading system. He currently lives in Sarasota, Florida. He previously worked in the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization from 1997 through 2019, and held the position of Senior Counsellor and Team Leader for Government Procurement and Competition Policy in the Organization from 2005 through March 2019. In the course of his career, he has led workshops and seminars or delivered presentations on topics in his areas of responsibility in more than 80 countries, worldwide.
Mr Anderson holds the title of Honorary Professor in the School of Law at the University of Nottingham (United Kingdom). Additionally, he currently serves as an external (adjunct-style) faculty member in the International Public Procurement Management Program at the University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy); its sister program at the University of Belgrade (Serbia); and the Academy of International Economic Law and Policy (AIELPO) of the European Public Law Organization in Athens, Greece. He has previously lectured at the World Trade Institute (University of Bern, Switzerland); the IELPO Program of the Faculty of Law, University of Barcelona; and the International Masters Program on International Trade and Investment of the Catholic University of Lyon; and has been a guest speaker, on multiple occasions, in relevant courses of the George Washington University Law School (United States).
Mr Anderson is editor of three books: (i) (with Nuno Pires de Carvalho, WIPO and Antony Taubman, WTO) Competition Policy and Intellectual Property in Today's Global Economy (Cambridge University Press, WIPO and the WTO, forthcoming 2021) (ii) (with Prof. Sue Arrowsmith of the University of Nottingham) The WTO Regime on Government Procurement: Challenge and Reform (Cambridge University Press, 2011); and (iii) (with Prof. Nancy Gallini of the University of British Columbia) Competition Policy and Intellectual Property Rights in the Knowledge-based Economy (Industry Canada Research Series, 1998).
Robert is the author/coauthor of more than 75 published articles in academic, legal and professional journals and/or chapters included in significant academic volumes.
Prior to joining the WTO in 1997, Robert held various senior positions in the Canadian Competition Bureau (Canada's national antitrust agency). Earlier in his career, he held entry-level positions in: (i) the Department of Finance of the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan; and (ii) the Economic Council of Canada.
Robert Anderson holds a B.A. with Honours in Economics from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada) and a J.D. (Juris Doctor) from Osgoode Hall Law School (Toronto, Canada). He has separately completed post-graduate studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada; and holds Executive Certificates in Economic Development and Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.