International Symposium Calls for Holistic Approach to IP Education and Research
Geneva, July 6, 2005
Press Updates UPD/2005/255
Leading academics, intellectual property policy (IP) advisors and practitioners attending the WIPO International Symposium on Intellectual Property and Education and Research in Geneva (background information available at https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/prdocs/2005/wipo_ma_2005_19.html), from June 30 to July 1, 2005, called for an enhanced and more comprehensive approach to IP education and research to encourage broad-based understanding and more effective use of the IP system as a key tool in promoting economic, social and cultural development.
Participants also called for more resources to be made available to support the development of IP-oriented curricula relevant to both secondary schools and universities. They underlined the merits of an interdisciplinary approach, which integrates IP into disciplines such as economics, business, trade, sciences, engineering and culture, to improve understanding of the role of IP as a key element in the process of creating valuable knowledge assets. They further emphasized the role of IP education in producing the necessary expertise to promote the effective development and use of the IP system to accelerate wealth creation in the knowledge-based global economy. IP education and research was also recommended as a way to leverage more effective sharing of information and resources among different players to foster deeper and more fruitful partnerships and cooperation at local, national and international levels.
Participants called for the following measures to be undertaken:
- To encourage and advocate at the highest policy level strengthening of governmental support for IP education and research in the context of development;
- To help developing countries establish institutional bases (e.g., IP research centers) and more effective mechanisms to collect and disseminate current and relevant documentation for IP education and research (IP libraries);
- To develop the inter-disciplinary nature of IP in curricula, and to bring other partners, such as those in the field of economics, business management, engineering, science and technology, culture, environment and sociology into that process;
- To conduct IP research from a national strategic perspective to facilitate national debate and policy formulation in developing countries;
- To start IP education at an early stage with a view to fostering a culture which respects creativity and which strives to curb IP abuses;
- To explore various new and different sources of funding to enhance IP education and research;
- To provide IP researchers in developing countries with opportunities to publish their work, both in their country, and externally;
- To conduct joint research operations involving researchers from both developed and developing counties, in an attempt to find common grounds for the further development of the IP system;
- To develop a range of models of IP curricula tailored to the needs of different target groups such as engineers and business managers; and
- To develop mechanisms allowing universities to collaborate internationally through, for example, teacher and student exchange programs to promote sharing of teaching materials and useful information about IP issues.
A number of international organizations also outlined ways in which they are currently supporting and promoting international cooperation in the area of IP education and research.
The Symposium was attended by participants from 42 countries from around the world and included leading academics, IP practitioners, public policy advisors and NGOs involved in IP capacity building programs (see Media Alert WIPO/MA/2005/19 at https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/prdocs/2005/wipo_ma_2005_19.html).
Panelists (in the order of appearance)
- Mr. Keith Maskus, Professor and Department Chair, Department of Economics, University of Colorado, United States of America
- Mr. Guillermo Cabanellas, Doctor en Derecho, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Mr. Jakkirt Kuanpoth, Faculty of Law, University of Wollongong, Australia
- Mr. N. S. Gopalakrishnan, Director, School of Legal Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, India
- Mr. Kouliga Daniel Nkièma, Professor, University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Mr. Joseph Straus, Director, Max Planck Institute, Germany
- Mr. Andrew Christie, Professor, Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia, University of Melbourne, Australia
- Mr. Mihály Ficsor, Director, Center for Information Technology and Intellectual Property (CITIP), Budapest, Hungary
- Mr. Shigeo Takakura, Executive Manager, Human Resources Development Center, National Center for Industrial Property Information Training (NCIPI), Japan
- Mr. Tom Ogada, Lecturer, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
- Mr. Maroun Boustani, Dean, Institut supérieur de la Sagesse pour l'enseignement du droit, Université La Sagesse, Beirut, Lebanon
- Mr. Xu Chao, Deputy Director General, National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC), Beijing, China
- Mr. André Lucas, Professor, Faculté de droit et de science politique, University of Nantes, France
- Mrs. Ana Maria Pacon, Profesora y Miembro del Consejo Consultivo de la Maestría, Catholic University of Lima, Peru
- Mrs. Ruth Soetendorp, Professor, Intellectual Property Management, Bournemouth University, United Kingdom
- Mr. Jerome Reichman, Bunyan S. Womble Professor of Law, Duke University, United States of America
- Ms. Cathy Garner, CEO, Centre for the Management of Intellectual Property in Health Research and Development (MIHR), United Kingdom
- Mr. Matthieu van Kaam, Chief Country Officer, Philips Intellectual Property & Standards, The Netherlands
For further information, please see a specially dedicated site at the Worldwide Academy web site https://www.wipo.int/academy/en/meetings/iped_sym_05/ or contact
WIPO Worldwide Academy
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