WIPO World Wide Academy, part of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Geneva to impart education and training on IP, is planning to launch a series of education and training programmes in India to train senior executives, professionals and regulatory officials to cope with the demands of the new business environment.

As part of this, WIPO is in discussions with a leading Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to offer a joint programme to train managing directors and senior executives of various companies, especially from life science companies, on IP issues and developments. Once the MoU is signed, the partners will decide the institutions and venues, syllabus, duration of the programme, etc. The programme was likely to begin by October 2006, concurrently with the launch of similar programmes in Brazil, Korea, China etc., Anil Sinha, head, research and executive programme, WIPO Worldwide Academy, Geneva, told Pharmabiz.

He said that there was an increasing demand for IP education and India had only 200 patent examiners at present to draft patent applications, search patents, to initiate prosecutions, litigate conflicts, for verification of licensing and commercialisation, managing and validation of patents etc. This demand is sure to increase to a minimum 500 examiners by 2010. Limited training resources and facilities is a big issue in the country. Some IITs, IIMs, and universities are planning to start courses on IP management like the IP law and management course started by the Rajiv Gandhi School of Law, PG diploma and LLB in patent law planned by IITKGP etc.

According to Sinha, most of the IP related programmes, seminars and workshops etc are being attended by low level managers from various companies, who fail to convey to the senior managers and key decision makers the importance of IP while taking decisions. The IP training programme planned for senior executives would solve this programme to some extent.

Sinha said, “WIPO is planning a series of programmes on biotech IP, various courses on patents, traditional knowledge and IP, exclusive training programme for SMEs etc and these courses would be launched in India in the 2006-07 period. At present WIPO Worldwide Academy is conducting a Masters in Law in IP in association with the University of Turin, Italy and a Masters programme on human rights and intellectual property rights law with the University of Sweden.”

He also said that a diploma course in IP was launched in association with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) this year. Besides, the academy runs various distance-learning programmes on IP, besides a Summer School programme for students. The programme was re-launched in 2005 and about 40 students selected from 400 students worldwide were trained in Geneva, recently.