1. IP Teaching in Countries in Transitionг.
IP Teaching in Countries in Transition
Mr.  Michal Svantner, Director, Division for Certain Countries in Europe and Asia, WIPO

2. 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

3. Methodology for IP Teaching and Training
Methods employed in the teaching of IP include:
Face to face classroom teaching/tutorial
Practical Training through WIPO, EPO & IPOs
Distance 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:

4. Programs Professional Development Distance Learning Program
WIPO Summer School

5. 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

6. 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 Transition
Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights
Recommendations on Strengthening the Role of Innovative SMEs in CIS countries
Tool on IP Teaching in Countries in Transition
Tool on Economic Aspects of IP in Countries in Transition
Tool on Traditional Knowledge in Countries in Transition
Tool on Digitalization of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Countries in Transition

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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

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

11. 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 curses
Dictionary 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

12. Content and structure Events IP Teaching material - Legal Sciences
Business Education
Engineering Faculties
Science Education
Art and Social Sciences
Music
Marketing
Communication
Case studies
Curricula – course programs (for different target groups)
Research projects
Examination and test questionnaires
Conferences and meetings
On-line courses
Links 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 lecturers
News and references – RSS
Blogs
List of users / subscribers
List of universities and other educational institutions, offering courses on IP
List of IP teachers and lecturers
Country specific information

13. Home-page of the IP Teaching Portal

14. National Page

15. 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.

16. Thank you for your attention.
Michal SVANTNER
Director
Division for Certain
Countries in Europe and Asia
World Intellectual Property Organization
Tel.:
Fax: