First WIPO Academy Seminar on IP Knowledge and Skills Development in Qatar
November 15, 2022
The WIPO Academy teamed up with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the State of Qatar (MOCI) and the Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) College of Law to offer the first joint Seminar on IP Knowledge and Skills Development in Qatar from November 2 to 3, 2022.
The Seminar was held virtually for the benefit of 36 participants from HBKU and other researchers from Texas A&M University in Qatar.
What did the Seminar cover?
The Seminar focused on the importance of intellectual property (IP) in commercialization for economic, technological and socio-cultural development, and introduced participants to six themes in industrial property including:
- Patents and their evolving international landscape;
- Patents and technology;
- The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) as a tool for global patent prosecution;
- Patent protection in Qatar;
- The evolving international landscape of trademarks; and
- The Madrid System for the International Registration of Trademarks.
Participants enjoyed the lectures, which were delivered by lecturers from a wide range of backgrounds in IP from academia, the public sector and the private sector.
The two-day seminar with experts from the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry was informative and useful to law students and researchers who are being introduced to the global framework to protect IP. As a law student, I found the growth and innovation surrounding patents, specifically under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) as discussed by Mr. Matthew Bryan, and the efficient Madrid System for trademarks, which Ms. Debbie Roenning examined to be particularly enlightening. Hamad bin Khalifa University College of Law has truly created partnerships and synergies across professional sectors that have allowed its students to learn about the realities of legal principles we have studied in the traditional classroom.
Noor Al Kobaisi, HBKU student
The WIPO experts gave HBKU students and researchers uniquely informed insights into the global legal regime designed to protect inventions and promote innovation. Joining the faculty from the WIPO Academy were officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar who shared up-to-date information about patent and trademark protection in Qatar. For HBKU students and researchers, the sessions did more than heighten their awareness of intellectual property law as they emphasized its critical importance to business development in Qatar.
Professor Susan L. Karamanian, Dean of the College of Law, Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Thank you WIPO Academy for working with the intellectual property protection department and HBKU on building the IP Knowledge and skills of the students and researchers. We have much in the works and I look forward to sharing more on the ecosystem of Qatar and all the legislative reforms and procedures that we are delivering.
Amna Jaber A. A. Al-Kuwari, Intellectual Property Protection Director of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Qatar
The seminar on IP Knowledge and Skills Development marked the beginning of an excellent partnership between the WIPO Academy, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the State of Qatar and HBKU. The commitment of the students and the interdisciplinary teaching methodologies employed by the presenters, which included real-world case studies and practical examples, contributed to the success of the seminar. The program moved beyond theory to the positive benefits of promoting the use and commercialization of IP for social and economic growth.
Martha Chikowore, Counsellor at the WIPO Academy
Following the success of the seminar, WIPO, MOCI and HBKU College of Law will organize a four to five day course on intellectual capital management and branding in 2023.