WIPO and WTO Team Up to Support IP Teachers
November 30, 2023
WIPO Academy and the World Trade Organization (WTO) organized the 19th edition of the annual WIPO-WTO Colloquium for Teachers of Intellectual Property (IP) from November 13 to 24, 2023 at WIPO and WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Twenty-seven IP teachers from top universities around the world took part in the 19th edition of the WIPO-WTO Colloquium.
What is the WIPO-WTO Colloquium?
The Colloquium brings together teachers of IP from least-developed countries, developing countries, and countries in transition to strengthen the ability of universities to develop national expertise in IP and shape future IP policymakers.
Over an intensive two-week period, teachers on the program benefit from firsthand knowledge on issues under debate in the IP arena at WIPO and WTO, experience-sharing on IP teaching methodologies, and a networking opportunity with fellow teachers across universities to foster future cooperation.
WIPO and WTO have shared responsibility to ensure that the international intellectual property system is fit-for-purpose and responds to the challenges of the day, especially in relation to Agenda 2030 and the SDGs, public health, climate change and other pressing global challenges. The objectives of the Colloquium are to update participants on new developments taking place at WIPO and the WTO, to share experiences and challenges, and learn more about IP teaching methodologies and research. Every year, the program is updated to reflect new developments in the two organizations and build on comments received from previous Colloquia.
Mr. Sherif Saadallah, Executive Director of the WIPO Academy
After each edition of the Colloquium, participants are invited to take on in-depth research on emerging IP issues, and contribute academic research papers to the WIPO-WTO Colloquium Papers. The WIPO-WTO Colloquium Papers is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal that hosts cutting-edge IP research to assist IP policy makers worldwide.
What did the 19th edition of the Colloquium cover?
Through the WIPO-WTO Colloquium, IP teachers got to hear from WIPO and WTO officials, alongside experts from academia and the private sector, on 51 key topic areas related to IP and teaching methodologies, such as:
- The evolving international landscape of patents: Law, policy and development;
- IP and economic and social development;
- Pedagogical paradigms in higher education: Unveiling innovative teaching strategies;
- IP rights and gender parity;
- From university research to IP commercialization;
- Settling IP-related disputes in the international trading system; and
- IP and emerging technologies: challenges and opportunities in the digital environment .
Participants also had the chance to follow the Trilateral Symposium on Public Health and Climate Change which was held at the United Nations Office in Geneva on November 14, 2023. The Director-Generals of WIPO, WTO and the World Health Organization opened the Trilateral Symposium which builds on the trilateral cooperation between the three organizations.
The WIPO Academy will continue to support the IP teachers after the Colloquium by compiling university IP policies and preparing guidelines for the teachers to use when setting up similar policies in their universities.
What our participants are saying?
The WIPO-WTO Colloquium is a comprehensive and enlightening program that covers highly topical and technical aspects regarding international intellectual property (IP) law and policy as well as related international trade aspects. Some of the most interesting topics covered include, IP and emerging technologies, technology transfer, management and the enforcement of IP. It is a life-changing program that will significantly impact my teaching of IP, supervision and research interests. The Colloquium also offered invaluable insights and a great opportunity for sharing knowledge, and networking with participants from across the world.
Yeukai Mupangavanhu (University of the Western Cape, South Africa)
The WIPO-WTO Colloquium was well-structured and has been run in a professional manner. The selection of speakers was outstanding and I was particularly impressed by the diversity of topics covered, which allowed for a comprehensive understanding of various disciplines. The interactive nature of the colloquium provided an excellent platform for engaging discussions and allowed for a deeper exploration of the subject matter. The colloquium has sparked new ideas and perspectives that I am eager to explore further with my students and colleagues.
Saleh Albarashdi (Sultan Qaboos University, Oman)
Participating in the WIPO-WTO Colloquium was an enriching experience in my professional development as an IP teacher and researcher. The comprehensive sessions run by excellent experts, featuring real-world examples and discussions on recent regional and national IP policy developments, broadened my knowledge and equipped me with new insights into best practices in IP teaching. The Colloquium served as an invaluable networking platform among participants who share a passion for intellectual property and with WIPO and WTO experts and officials. This jointly organized training was an excellent example of a successful collaboration between international institutions to promote IP protection and education. I look forward to future collaborative initiatives and dialogues on IP teaching with the exceptional group of the 2023 Colloquium community. I wholeheartedly recommend it to any IP teacher seeking to elevate their expertise in intellectual property.
Justyna Ożegalska-Trybalska (Jagiellonian University, Poland)