WIPO Academy and China Commit to Fostering IP Education and Training
November 17, 2023
Following the longstanding legacy of strong cooperation between WIPO and the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), especially the 23-year-long cooperation between the WIPO Academy and the China Intellectual Property Training Center (CIPTC), Mr. Sherif Saadallah, Executive Director of the WIPO Academy, met with senior officials in China in November 2023 to herald a new era of collaboration focused on inclusive intellectual property (IP) education, training and skills-building.
Newest Master's Program with Tsinghua University
Mr. Saadallah, signed an agreement with Mr. JIANG Peixue, the Vice President of Tsinghua University, on November 9, 2023 in Beijing, China, to jointly offer a Joint Master's Degree Program in IP and Innovation Policy (MIPIP). This marks WIPO Academy's 15th graduate program in an effort to support the increasing accessibility of IP higher education opportunities worldwide.
The first edition of the program will open for registration on the WIPO eLearning Center in February 2024 and will launch for the first cohort in September 2024. The MIPIP program includes in-person lectures at Tsinghua University and the submission of a final dissertation/research project.
Through this MIPIP program, the next generation of innovators, policymakers, IP practitioners and SMEs will gain essential IP knowledge and skills needed to harness the power of innovation for sustainable growth and development, bridging the gap between innovation and economic prosperity.
Expanding IP Education, Training and Skills-building in China
Mr. Saadallah met with Mr. LU Pengqi, the Deputy Commissioner of the China National IP Administration (CNIPA) on November 7,2023 to discuss the strategic importance of inclusive IP education, and ways to support IP knowledge and skills-building for developing countries. Mr. Saadallah also met with Mr. SUN Wei, Dean of the CIPTC for a steering committee meeting on the cooperation between the WIPO Academy and CIPTC on delivering IP education, training and skills-building across China.
The CIPTC awarded the WIPO Academy with a Certificate of Appreciation for the joint efforts in nurturing IP professionals in China over the last 23 years.
During the visit, the WIPO Academy organized a two-day training-of-trainers on teaching methodologies from November 6 to 7, 2023 for the Chinese head tutors on the WIPO Academy's Distance Learning Courses in Chinese, which have been managed and administered by the CIPTC since 2016.
In preparation for the CIPTC's plans to customize the existing advanced Distance Learning Courses on all domains of IP in 2024, a two-day practical workshop was held on course content and course customization. The customized courses will be delivered jointly using blended learning approaches, combining online and face-to-face learning, for a global audience of professionals.
The WIPO Academy also collaborated with the WIPO Office in China to expand cooperation with other key stakeholders on the ground, such as the Beijing Municipal IP Office and the Boao Forum for Asia.
As we celebrate 50 years of fruitful cooperation with China, and the 23 years of training cooperation specifically, let us not dwell on the past but look to the future. Our commitment to excellence in IP training in different languages remains as resolute as ever. The challenges we face may evolve, and new opportunities will emerge, but our dedication to capacity building for innovation remains steady. I am inspired by the incredible progress that China has made in IP development. With the same enthusiasm and shared purpose that have brought us to this point, let us continue to shape the future of IP training and education together.
Mr. Sherif Saadallah, Executive Director of the WIPO Academy.