Philipp Aerni graduated in Geography and Economics at the University of Zurich in 1996 and received his PhD from the Institute of Agricultural Economics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich in 1999. From January 2000 to April 2002, he continued his research as a post-doctoral research fellow in the Science, Technology and Innovation Program at the Center for International Development at Harvard University, Cambridge, USA.

Apart from his research at the World Trade Institute, he is currently heading two National Science Foundation Projects (NFP 59) (www.nfp59.ch).
More information about these research projectscan be found on his ETH Zruich website
http://www.iaw.agrl.ethz.ch/people/aStelle/aernip

Philipp Aerni is also co-founder and member of the management steering team of the Geneva-based NGO 'Africa Technology Development Forum' (ATDF). The main objective of ATDF is to promote science, technology and entrepreneurship in Africa.