Calling all IP Teachers and Researchers: the WIPO-WTO Colloquium is Open for Applications
November 4, 2024
WIPO and the World Trade Organization (WTO) are teaming up to offer the 20th edition of the colloquium for teachers and researchers of intellectual property (IP) law and policy from developing countries, least-developed countries (LDCs) and countries in transition.
The WIPO-WTO Colloquium will take place from February 3 to 14, 2025 at both WIPO and WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by November 24, 2024 on the WIPO eLearning Center.
What is the WIPO-WTO Colloquium?
The colloquium offers IP teachers and researchers the opportunity to learn more about emerging IP issues under debate at the international level, share experiences and challenges, and learn more about the latest trends and methodologies in IP teaching and research.
During the two-week program, participants learn from leading experts from academia, the private sector, and officials from WIPO and WTO about the intersection of IP and areas such as development, public health, technology transfer and emerging technologies through a range of thematic, including on:
- Intellectual property policy and economic development;
- Artificial intelligence and creativity;
- Interface between patents and health innovations;
- Securing digital frontiers: IP enforcement in E-commerce and digital trade;
- Climate adaption innovation;
- Mapping agri-foods systems; and
- Knowledge transfer – from research to market.
Who can apply?
Applications are open to candidates with advanced knowledge of IP, namely university teachers and researchers, lawyers, and economists working in the field of IP, from developing countries, LDCs and countries in transition. To qualify, candidates must:
- Have ongoing roles relevant to supporting the development or implementation of IP-related policies at the national level;
- An established track record in IP research and publication;
- An advanced university degree and at least five years of teaching experience in IP or a related field with a specialization in IP, such as international law or economics;
- Not have participated in the last five editions of the WIPO-WTO Colloquium;
- An excellent command of the English language; and
- Submit a one-page abstract in their online application, on a presentation they plan to give at the colloquium about a topic area or policy issue. The topic should be relevant to issues currently under debate in their respective country or region.
Following their participation in the colloquium, selected candidates would have to prepare a paper on this topic for publication as part of the WIPO-WTO Colloquium Papers.
Please email the program administrator if you have any enquiries.