Register Now for the Second Edition of the WIPO-Harvard Law School Patent X Course
May 30, 2023
WIPO and Harvard Law School (HLS) concluded the successful first edition of the joint certificate course on Patent Law and Global Public Health (“Patent X”), which ran from January to April 2023 for the benefit of 500 participants. The new course addresses the actual and potential roles of intellectual property (IP) in stimulating the production and distribution of vaccines and medicines, particularly in pandemics. Following the 12 weeks of interactive live lectures and coursework, participants completed the exam in May 2023 with a groundbreaking 95.5% pass rate. The course is offered free-of-charge to all participants.
What our participants are saying?
"The PatentX course offers a unique immersive learning journey whilst providing senior leadership a toolkit to navigate the geography of patent law and global public health. The quality of the presenting faculty was truly impressive with thought provoking insights and the quality of the learning engagement far exceeded my expectations. The program really helped me to look at the patent ecosystem and value chain with fresh eyes, and delivered some fantastic insights. I definitely would recommend and encourage my fellow diplomats, government officials and others to take the WIPO-Harvard Law School Course on Patent Law and Global Public Health." – Ambassador Professor Muhammadou M.O.Kah., Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of The Gambia to the Swiss Confederation and Permanent Representative to the UNOG, WTO and other International Organizations in Switzerland.
(Photo: Ambassador Professor Muhammadou M.O.Kah)
"I was quite thrilled to be part of the Patent X course. Taking this online course has broadened my knowledge about patents theoretically and practically. The coherent, strong, and efficient manner in presenting the course content helped us students, to have a strong grasp of the course material and kept us well connected with each other. I enjoyed enormously the second part of the course, where we had case studies that needed teamwork to be solved, it was fun, interactive, and educational at the same time, perfect combination that helped me understand the topic in question from different point of views." – Razan Walch
(Photo: Oday Yehia)
"I am highly delighted to be part of the 2023 cohort for the Patent X course. I found the content rich and delivered in a fascinating manner, even for a new comer to the field of IP. My interests have been activated and have committed to a lifelong learning and advocacy in the field of IP. The content provided key insights to solving the access issues for lifesaving medicines and technologies for the underprivileged populations." – Kehinde Onasanya
(Photo: Kehinde Onasanya)
"The PatentX course provides us with a new perspective on the relationship between intellectual property and health from a global perspective, rather than a specific national perspective. It helped to make the perspectives of everyone on the course broader and more socially responsible. Thank you very much to WIPO and Harvard Law School for providing such learning opportunities." – Yan Zhang
(Photo: Yan Zhang)
Interested in enrolling in Patent X?
Due to the high demand for Patent X, with over 900 applicants for a total of 500 spots on the course, a second edition will run from September 11 to December 1, 2023. Registration for the second edition is now open.
What does the course cover?
The course is divided into two parts. The first part covers the basics of patent law; and the second part considers how patent law might be applied or updated to mitigate the current public-health crisis, and reduce the burdens of disease throughout the world in the future.
Participants will have the unique opportunity to learn from faculty members trained by Harvard Law School, including instructors from the WIPO Joint Master’s Programs, about a range of topics such as:
- the global health crisis;
- how to improve pharmaceutical markets and IP; and
- alternative incentive systems.
Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate jointly signed by WIPO and Harvard Law School.
How to apply?
Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply for the course by submitting applications that meet the following criteria:
- educational qualifications (university degree(s) in any field);
- descriptions of their relevant professional experiences (if any);
- a recent curriculum vitae; and
- a brief statement of motivation explaining why they wish to take the course.
Applications must be submitted online through the WIPO eLearning Center. Successful applicants will be notified of their admission into the course by the WIPO Academy. For more information, please contact the course administration.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The WIPO-Harvard PatentX course is offered free-of-charge to a limited number of participants. It is open to candidates with university degree(s) in any fields.
The duration of the course is 12 weeks. It is offered twice each year.
The course is designed primarily for government officials, nongovernmental policymakers, academics, post-graduate students, professionals in fields related to health care, and members of the public who wish to enhance their knowledge and skills in the field of IP and global public health.
Taking the course conscientiously requires approximately 5 hours of focused work per week. Specifically, it entails:
- 5 hours dedicated to watching the recorded lecture for the week;
- 5 hours for participating in the weekly seminar;
- 2 hours for reading the material in the syllabus; and
- Academic support is provided throughout the course by an experienced tutor trained and certified by HLS.
To be eligible to take the final exam and receive a certificate of completion, each participant must attend and actively participate in at least 10 out of the 12 weekly seminars.
A written final examination will be administered starting on December 8, 2023. Participants who wish to take the examination will submit written responses via the HLS platform.