On 05 November 2024, the World Trade Organization (WTO) announced that it had teamed up with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to organise the 20th edition of the colloquium for teachers and researchers of intellectual property (IP) law and policy from developing and least-developed members and observers. The colloquium will take place from 3 to 14 February 2025 at both WIPO and WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Qualified candidates are asked to apply by 24 November 2024 via the WIPO eLearning Centre.
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 programme, 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.
Thematic discussions will include:
- Intellectual property policy and economic development;
- Artificial intelligence and creativity;
- The interface between patents and health innovations;
- Securing digital frontiers: IP enforcement in e-commerce and digital trade;
- Climate adaptation innovation;
- Mapping agri-food systems; and
- Knowledge transfer — from research to market.
Who can apply?
Applications are welcome from candidates with advanced knowledge of IP, namely university teachers and researchers, lawyers and economists working in the field of IP, from developing economies and least developed countries (LDC). To qualify, candidates must:
- Have ongoing roles relevant to supporting the development or implementation of IP-related policies at the national level;
- Have an established track record in IP research and publishing;
- Have an advanced university degree and at least five years of teaching experience in IP or a related field with a specialisation in IP, such as international law or economics;
- Not have participated in any of the last five editions of the WIPO-WTO Colloquium held in Geneva, Switzerland;
- Have 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 specific topic 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, which are accessible at:
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/colloquium_publication_e