WIPO-The Ajman University of Science and Technology (AUST) Network
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on June 11, 2002, by Dr. Saeed Salman, the President of Ajman University of Science and Technology (AUST) and by Dr. Kamil Idris, the Director General of WIPO. This MOU seeks to facilitate, through close cooperation and consultation with each other, the attainment of the objectives which are in: organizing meetings, exchanging information and documents, exchanging periodicals and other publications, teaching of intellectual property, promotion of invention and innovation, and consultations between the heads of the two institutions.
An expert meeting on the establishment of an Arab Innovators Forum was held at the headquarters of WIPO in Geneva in June, 2002. The objective of this Forum will be to focus on the wider use of the intellectual property system in stimulating technological innovation, creativity, research and development, and the use and commercialization of research results and inventions generated in Arab Countries. This Forum should also serve as a venue for key Arab Scientists and experts to share their experiences and thus promote further innovation in all fields, as well as to create collaborative relationships with other leading technologists, professionals, and those in the enterprise sector in order to develop more creative and innovative projects based on intellectual property rights.
WIPO organized in cooperation with AUST an Arab Regional Conference on the Teaching of Intellectual Property Law, in Ajman, in May 2004. WIPO and AUST sponsored the participation of 36 Deans and Professors of Law representing 30 main Arab Universities from 18 Arab States. This Conference was the first regional conference addressing the teaching of intellectual property at Arab universities. The Objective of the conference was to promote the teaching of intellectual property law within Arab Universities taking into consideration the expertise and experience of leading universities in Europe and the United States of America. The Meeting aimed at building awareness of intellectual property matters at the University level; evaluating and assessing the progress made in the teaching of intellectual property in a number of Arab Universities, as well as encouraging other Universities in the region to introduce intellectual property teaching.
Moreover, The AUST Network is currently undertaking the translation into Arabic the modules of the WIPO Distance Learning Programs (DLP) and will be responsible for the administration of this important source and vehicle of knowledge for the entire Arab region.
