The First National Symposium on Intellectual Property Education, Training and Research jointly organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines) was held recently at the Dusit Hotel Nikko in Makati City.
The symposium aimed to establish an Intellectual Property Academy in the Philippines in line with IP Philippines’ new vision of fostering a creative and competitive Philippines that values, nurtures and uses IP for national development. Among the issues that were discussed during the symposium were the current state of IP education, training and research in the country and the strategies needed to spur creativity, innovation and competitiveness.
Shown in the picture are (from left): WIPO Worldwide Academy Office of Strategic Planning, Policy Development Executive Director Yo Takagi and IP Philippines Director General Adrian S. Cristobal, Jr..
Please click here to view the Director General’s keynote speech.
National Symposium on Intellectual Property Education, Training and Research
The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IP Philippines) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) recently held the National Symposium on Intellectual Property Education, Training and Research to develop and establish an Intellectual Property Academy of the Philippines. Topics discussed, among other things, were the state of education, training and research in the country and the strategies needed to spur creativity, innovation and competitiveness in the country.
The two-day symposium was one of the initiatives of IP Philippines in pursuit of its new vision “to foster a creative and competitive Philippines that values, nurtures and uses IP for national development.”
With the full support of the WIPO Worldwide Academy , the IP Academy of the Philippines would serve as a center of excellence in IP teaching and training and would support the implementation for a national intellectual property strategy in the country.
IP Philippines Director General Adrian S. Cristobal, Jr. pointed out, “We all live now in a knowledge-based economy. Intangible property or intangible wealth is now more valuable in other countries than tangible assets such as land, factories and energy. We should not be left behind. We have to use Intellectual Property for economic growth, social development and to promote our cultural heritage.
“Hence, one of the great challenges for us is how to protect and harness the creativity and talent of our people --- our nation’s intangible wealth,” he said.
“Building the community of IP advocates and educators necessitates a comprehensive and integrated plan towards IP education and training that brings together the universities, research and development institutions, the IP profession, the SME sector, the creative industries sector and IP Philippines,” Cristobal explained.
To push this endeavor, IP Philippines will spearhead the creation of the Philippine IP Academy. This institution is envisioned to be the center of education, training and research on IP.
The Academy will foster IP creation and utilization by
- raising the level of IP awareness and knowledge among academic and R&D institutions, SMEs, business, IP users and rights holders through training programmes;
- providing continuing education and training to
- IP Philippines employees, and
- IP professionals (lawyers, and other IP practitioners, teachers, researchers, creators, inventors, innovators and other IP generators);
- developing partnerships and networks with universities and individual educators for the institutionalization of IP courses/programs;
- promoting the inclusion of IP in basic and secondary education;
- developing information materials to promote public awareness in IP;
- conducting research to broaden IP knowledge and strengthen the competencies of IP professionals, and
- build up policy research capacity to improve the legal and policy infrastructure and to advance the country’s interests in international fora
“With WIPO’s support and the dedication pf the IP community and all stakeholders, we hope to harness the creative genius of Filipinos to improve our competitiveness in the knowledge economy, attract investments and create jobs through an effective IP system,” Cristobal said.
IP Philippines envisions a strong community of IP advocates, educators, trainers, and researchers consisting not only of IP practitioners and IP Philippines officials and employees, but also of academicians, scientists, entrepreneurs, inventors and business executives.