Programmes

WCO PICARD Programme Advancing Customs Academic Research and Professionalism.

Partnerships in Customs Academic Research and Development.

Where did it start?

Recognizing the importance of knowledge and education in the field of Customs, and that little was known about developments internationally, the WCO initiated a series of meetings with Universities and Academic Institutions during 2005.

The first informal meeting between the WCO Secretariat and Universities and Research Institutes was held at the World Customs Organization Headquarters in May 2005. Representatives from universities met to discuss possibilities of co-operation between the academic world and Customs in the field of capacity building.

The meeting announced the establishment of the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU) which is now accessible by the Web site http://www.incu.org/

The PICARD Programme was strongly supported by delegates of the HLWG which met in Brussels on 11 and 12 May 2006. WCO Members, representatives of partner universities and the private sector fully supported the initiatives and provided useful guidance for further development.

International Network of Customs Universities (INCU)

The International Network of Customs Universities (INCU) has been established to provide the World Customs Organization (WCO) and other organizations with a single point of contact with universities and research institutes that are active in the field of customs research, education and training. The INCU is also designed to provide a global resource for governments and the private sector, and an educational source for students wishing to further their knowledge in the field of customs management and administration, and international trade and logistics management.

The INCU website provides a framework for developing a comprehensive database of universities and other institutions involved in Customs research, education, development and capacity building activities, and associated information about relevant past, current and future activities.

The site also provides a mechanism for communicating current activities, new developments, coming events and other items of interest.

Professionalization

Today, the customs manager must be much more than an expert in customs. The demands of globalisation and modernization require a greater understanding of the political, economic and trading environment in which Customs is expected to operate. To meet the demands of modern times, it is necessary to develop and apply new management techniques and technologies. This new manager therefore requires a distinct set of knowledge, skills and behaviours which can only be delivered through a more professional approach to development and career management.

Under the newly established Capacity Building Directorate, engagement with Members and institutions was further developed through a Conference convened in Brussels from 1 to 3 March 2006.

Link to the 1^st conference report:

Conference on Partnership in Customs Academic Research and Development

2^nd PICARD Conference

The 2^nd PICARD conference was held 27-28 March 2007. The meeting:

- developed further a set of international professional standards of recognition for Customs related education

- launched officially the first edition of the World Customs Journal

- reviewed and discussed resent innovative material on supply chain security

- provided an opportunity for institutions to join the INCU

• Professional standards, Why?
• Supply chain security : Adding to an already complex operational and institutional environment
• Does the container security initiative comply with WTO law ?
• Voluntary supply chain security programme impacts : An empirical study with BASC member companies
• Supply chain security management within seaport nodes : A knowledge based approach
• Rethinking Cross Border Trade
   

The Conference was attended by over 100 delegates representing Members, universities, donors and other interested parties. It provided excellent networking opportunities and delegates expressed high satisfaction with the outcomes which included suggestions on how to stimulate more academic research into Customs matters and many potential research topics.

Also the guidelines were presented at the Conference that establish a process by which universities meeting the requirements of the WCO international standards for Customs profession (WCO PICARD Professional Standards) may attain WCO recognition of their academic programmes.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

Memorandum of Understanding is designed to promote co-operation in the development and provision of world-class customs training, education capacity building and research between the WCO and universities with Customs related activities.

Memoranda of Understanding have so far been signed between WCO and nine universities.

• Centre for Customs & Excise Studies, University of Canberra, Australia
• The Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica
• University of Le Havre, France
• University of Muenster, Germany
• University of Verona, Department of English, Germanic and Slavic Studies (Università degli Studi di Verona, Dipartimento di Anglistica, Germanica e Slavistica), Italy
• Riga Technical University, Latvia
• The Faculty of Economics, University "Ss. Cyril and Methodius" (FE), Skopje, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 
• Zayed University, United Arab Emirates
• Leeds Metropolitan University, United Kingdom

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