IP Teaching in Countries in Transition

Mr.  Michal Svantner, Director, Division for Certain Countries in Europe and Asia, WIPO

CHALLENGES

Lack of IP awareness

Lack of national policies, strategies and legislation to promote the teaching and research in IP.

Existing weak markets for IP graduates or professionals to attract many students to undertake IP courses.

Lack of adequate and up-to-date teaching materials for IP.

Lack of initiatives to extend the IP education beyond the law schools through tailor-made programs for groups that cannot access IP courses from law schools.

Lack of collaboration between universities and the industries and Government Departments

Methodology for IP Teaching and Training

Methods employed in the teaching of IP include:Face to face classroom teaching/tutorialPractical Training through WIPO, EPO & IPOsDistance learning:

- by correspondence e.g. structured workbooks, tapes, video-cassettes, DVDs - through internet e.g. WIPO Worldwide Academy Distance Courses and CD-ROMs - Combination of distance learning, video conferencing

with face to face (LL.M., MIP, Diploma & Certificate)Link: http://www.wipo.int/academy/en/

Programs

Professional Development

Distance Learning Program

WIPO Summer School

DL Courses offered 2010

DL 001 – Intellectual Property Primer

101PCT – General Primers - Introduction to the Patent Cooperation Treaty

DL 101 – General Course on Intellectual Property

DL 201 – Copyright and Related Rights

DL 202 – Electronic Commerce IP

DL 204 – Biotechnology and Intellectual Property

DL 205 – Plant Variety Protection -UPOV Convention

DL 301 – Patents

DL-302 – Trademarks

DL-317 – Arbitration and Mediation Procedure under the WIPO Rules

DL-318 – Patent Information Search

DL-320 – Basics of Patent Drafting

WIPO Tools

Guidance for Elaboration of IP Strategies

Management of Academic Intellectual Property and Early Stage Innovation Special Features of the Copyright Systems Nation Branding in Countries in TransitionEnforcement of Intellectual Property RightsRecommendations on Strengthening the Role of Innovative SMEs in CIS countriesTool on IP Teaching in Countries in TransitionTool on Economic Aspects of IP in Countries in TransitionTool on Traditional Knowledge in Countries in TransitionTool on Digitalization of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Countries in Transition

IP Teaching in Countries in Transition

Targeted to provide for an effective education in IP at relevant levels. It is expected that the results of this project will further shape the institutional practices in different government agencies and universities.

Identifying, among others, the current situation regarding IP teaching in the countries concerned.

To benchmark the best practices in comparison with those of some developed countries.

Web project under elaboration

Web project

Participants in the WIPO Inter-Regional Symposium on Teaching Intellectual Property in Countries in Transition, held in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 10 and 11, 2010 recommended to WIPO, among others:

To initiate the elaboration of a project for a web site to be managed in cooperation between WIPO and the University of National and World Economy (Sofia, Bulgaria) reflecting basic information about events related to teaching IPRs in countries in transition, development of the WIPO tool for teaching IPRs for countries in transition, database of teaching materials and teaching programs in countries in Central, Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, as well as selected Mediterranean countries.

Main Problems

Majority of IP teachers and lecturers work in isolation and have only sporadic contacts with colleagues in their own countries and abroad.

They can rely on professional expertise and advice only through personal contacts

No structured information or database

Objectives

Provide easy access to the needed professional information on and related to IP teaching in a structured and reliable format is neededTrigger the development of a professional and social communication forum for the community of IP teachers, researchers and other professionals, involved in the educational processEncourage exchange of experience, programs, curricula, early information on forthcoming events and meetings, best practices and case studies, and much moreMain users - IP teachers and lecturers, IP researchers, universities and higher education institutions teaching IP to their students, as well as IP professionals and studentsAt the outset the IP Teaching web-portal will use only English, however the possibility of using and communicating in other languagesProject Management - WIPO will provide the overall guidance and expert support, UNWE – will ensure the management and implementation of the project

Information and Tools to be offered on the IP teaching portal

Reference tool – to provide a fast and easy-to-use access to information and web-based resources on IP for the purposes of IP teaching, information on IP teachers, lecturers, professionals, IP events and projects, encourage collaboration and exchange of information, etc. Contacts – Social Network -- the IP teaching portal shall ensure direct contacts and links among IP teachers, lecturers, researchers, professionals, universities, the various IP organizations and associations, etc. Virtual meetings and discussion forums -- the IP teaching portal shall facilitate on-line meetings and discussion forums on relevant issues Database of research projects and thesis documents Video-library of lectures, seminars and training cursesDictionary of IP terms, thesaurus, links to all databases of the projects (i.e. teaching materials, courses, lectures, thesis papers, who-is who), as well as links to national and international resources (collections of laws, treaties, Creating awareness and dissemination of information.Knowledge based management system (including FAQ)Communication and Presentation tool

Content and structure

EventsIP Teaching material - Legal SciencesBusiness EducationEngineering FacultiesScience EducationArt and Social SciencesMusicMarketingCommunicationCase studies Curricula – course programs (for different target groups)Research projectsExamination and test questionnairesConferences and meetingsOn-line coursesLinks to resources – Databases, IP offices, WIPO, EPO, International and regional conventions and agreements, National laws and regulations, IP dictionaries and terminology reference sources for IP teachers and lecturersNews and references – RSSBlogsList of users / subscribersList of universities and other educational institutions, offering courses on IPList of IP teachers and lecturersCountry specific information

Home-page of the IP Teaching Portal

National Page

Conclusion

WIPO has been and will continue to play a

major role in supporting

elaboration and implementation of IP Strategies, policymaking, legal reforms,

participation in international standard setting

in countries in transition.

Thank you for your attention.

Michal SVANTNERDirector

Division for CertainCountries in Europe and Asia

World Intellectual Property Organizatione-mail: michal.svantner@wipo.int

http://www.wipo.int/dcea/en/Tel.:+41-22-338 8046

Fax: +41-22-338 8110