Global Network on Intellectual Property (IP) Academies

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Introduction

The World Intellectual Property Organization jointly organized with the National Institute for Industrial Property of Brazil, a first ever symposium for Intellectual Property (IP) Academies from March 21 to 23, 2007.

Academic institutions from various parts of the world participated in the Symposium. Representatives discussed the various educational, training and research activities and the challenges they face in carrying them out. They reviewed the nature of the target groups they served, the education programs offered by them and the methodologies and pedagogy employed in offering those educational programs.

As an outcome for this Symposium, the Heads of IP Academies agreed on the need to cooperate in various ways including in the offering of face to face education, distance or e-learning programs and in carrying out IP research.

In order to enhance increased cooperation for maximum impact, the Heads of IP Academies adopted a Declaration (Rio Declaration) spelling out various ways for their cooperation. They agreed to create a Global Network of IP Academies and, among other activities, to cooperate in designing performance indicators to be used as benchmarks for their activities, strengthen international cooperation and sharing experiences and to plan common goals.

This web page has been launched in order to support the creation of a Global Network of IP Academies and to provide an effective forum for cooperation among the members of the network for the realization of the goals spelled out in the Rio Declaration.

Background

The challenge of producing more and better qualified IP professionals and a more IP-conscious work-force needs to be seen now in the context of a new and greatly expanded awareness of the use, value and potential of IP. A new IP paradigm, where IP knowledge is necessary at many different levels of enterprise, government, activities of creativity and innovation, and for other stakeholders, is most obvious, and most effective, if IP education can be designed to cater to and support diversified needs, in an interdisciplinary manner and with proactive initiatives of the government to promote a nation-wide campaign for IP education at different levels. This is the context which is at the very center of government initiatives in setting up their IP academies as national nodal points for IP education. More than ten countries have taken a dynamic approach to IP education through the establishment of their IP Academies in an attempt to encourage not only universities but also other stakeholders of the IP system such as innovation-based companies, creative industries and IP professionals to participate in IP education programs. In view of the rapidly changing technologies and globalization of the world economy, the complexity of the IP system and skills required for effective management of IP assets will continue to be common challenges of IP educational institutions. Opportunities provided by the launch of the global network of IP Academies should further facilitate international cooperation and exchange of various and actual experience in IP education.

Secretariat

WIPO Academy Programs

Present Members

List of present members of the Global Network:

 

New Members

Any intellectual property academy/ training center which acts as a national authoritative focal point of intellectual property education and research and which wishes to join the global network of IP Academies, please fill in the membership application form and send it to the office of the Dean at:
 

WIPO Worldwide Academy
34, chemin des Colombettes
P.O. Box 18
CH - 1211 Geneva 20

Telephone: +41 22 338 7222
Fax: +41 22 740 1417
e-mail: gnacademy@wipo.int

 

Next Meeting

At the second Symposium in Beijing, China, the EPA proposed to host the third Symposium for Heads of Intellectual Property Academies, in 2009 in Europe. The participants expressed interest in discussing, during the third Symposium, specific topics on IP teaching, training and research. A draft program with suggested topics will be circulated to the members for their comments.