Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Intellectual Property Post-Graduate Specialization Course on Intellectual Property Kicks off in Turin
Geneva, September 13, 2005
Press Updates UPD/2005/261
Thirty-seven students from around the world are participating in a joint post-graduate program on intellectual property offered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Worldwide Academy and the University of Turin. The residential part of the 5th edition of the Master of Laws (LLM) in Intellectual Property and Post-Graduate Specialization Course on Intellectual Property opened on September 5, 2005 at the International Training Center(ITC) of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Turin, Italy.
First launched in 2000, the annual program seeks to train trainers of intellectual property in order to bolster the protection of intellectual property rights in both developed and developing countries. A total of 37 students from 26 countries are participating in the program. The 2005 edition started on June 1st, 2005 and will end on January 31st, 2006. The first cycle was based on distance learning from June 1st to August. The second, residential, cycle runs from September 5 to December 15, 2005. In the third cycle, from December to January 31, 2006, students will be required to write a thesis on a subject of their choice. The students will benefit from a study visit to WIPO headquarters in Geneva from October 31 to November 4, 2005.
At the opening of the residential part of the program, the students were welcomed by Mr. Franciscus Lenglet, Director of Training, International Training Center (ITC) of the International Labor Organization (ILO) who explained how the center has always played a leading role in training professionals in almost all fields of human endeavor. Mr. Marco Ricolfi, Professor of Law, University of Turin, underscored the richness of the program and the importance of cross-pollination and the sharing of information among the participants, especially between seasoned professionals and recent graduates.
Mr. Mpazi Sinjela, Director, WIPO Worldwide Academy, emphasized the uniqueness and novelty of the program. He said that the course drew on the experience and insights of world renowned professors and practitioners in the field of intellectual property and offered a careful blend of distance learning modules, residential training and thesis writing. He said that the course offered a firm basis for participants to launch their careers in intellectual property and to play a leading role in this field in their respective countries.
The curriculum provides an in-depth examination of the classical topics of IP law, as well as a specialized analysis of the latest developments in the fields of patents, trademarks, domain names, copyright and related rights, industrial designs, software and databases, integrated circuits, biotechnological patents and plant varieties, the Internet and e-commerce. The full curriculum of the LLM program can be found at: www.turin-ip.com (link for the program).
Participants from the following countries are enrolled in the program: Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, German, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lesotho, Pakistan, Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Ukraine, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Additional information on courses offered by the WIPO Worldwide Academy is available on the WIPO Academy website: www.wipo.int/academy/en and the web link for the LL.M. program is: www.turin-ip.com.
For further information, journalists may contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs Section at WIPO:
- Tel: (+41 22) 338 81 61 or (+41 22) 338 95 47;
- E-mail: publicinf@wipo.int
- Fax: (+41 22) 338 82 80.