WIPO China: Young IP Talents in the AI Era

In August 2026, WIPO–China Summer School programs on intellectual property were held at Shenzhen University (SZU) and Zhejiang University (ZJU). Focusing on IP issues in an innovation landscape being reshaped by artificial intelligence, the two programs aimed to deepen young IP talents' understanding of the IP system and strengthen their capacity to address challenges arising from frontier technologies.

Together, they attracted nearly 200 participants from more than 20 countries. Ms. Liu Hua, Director of the WIPO Office in China, attended the opening ceremony of 2026 WIPO-China (ZJU) Summer School on Intellectual Property and the closing ceremony of 2026 WIPO-China (SZU) Summer School on Intellectual Property, and delivered lectures to the participants.

In her remarks, Ms. Liu highlighted the accelerating convergence of two major innovation waves: the "digital innovation wave," driven by AI and digital technologies, and "deep science wave," spanning fields such as biotechnology and new materials. Together, they are profoundly reshaping how people produce, live and entertain themselves. IP is moving from a specialized field of law to the heart of the innovation economy. She noted that WIPO remains committed to building a balanced and effective global IP ecosystem, with talent development forming an essential part of this effort.

Ms. Liu also provided participants with an overview of five core sets of WIPO resources: the policy forum, the global IP registration systems, the data ecosystem, cooperation platforms and services, and the capacity-building system. She noted that global investment in intangible assets surpassed USD 10 trillion for the first time in 2025, bringing IP to the heart of the global innovation economy. WIPO is responding to these changes through policy dialogue and initiatives including the Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Interchange (AIII) and the Global Forum on IP and AI.

In her exchanges with participants, Ms. Liu encouraged them to seize the opportunities presented by AI and other frontier technologies, respond actively to the related challenges, deepen their understanding of the IP system, make full use of WIPO resources and contribute to the development of the global IP ecosystem.

Through the WIPO Academy, WIPO has built a growing network of academic partnerships in China. These include joint master's degree programs with Tsinghua University and Tongji University, as well as intellectual property summer schools in collaboration with a number of universities. Notably, both Zhejiang University and Shenzhen University hosted the Summer School for the first time this year, signaling a further upgrading of WIPO's commitment to intellectual property talent development in China's two major economic powerhouses — the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta.