Enhanced Human Resource Capacities

Education, training, support, and awareness-raising are at the core of the capability and capacity building activities that FIT Japan IP Global contributes to and/or undertakes.
Image: Africa University
MIP graduation ceremony

Scholarships

Each year, up to 12 students per university are awarded scholarships to pursue MIP degrees jointly offered by WIPO and African academic institutions, namely Africa University (Zimbabwe) and the University of Yaoundé II (Cameroon). In 2024, an MIP program was also launched in India, with several students receiving scholarships.
  • Master’s Degree in Intellectual Property (MIP) program offered jointly by WIPO, ARIPO and Africa University, Mutare, Zimbabwe with the assistance of the Government of Japan (2025-2026)
  • Master’s Degree in Intellectual Property (MIP) program offered jointly by WIPO, OAPI and University of Yaoundé II, Yaoundé, Cameroon, with the assistance from the Government of Japan (2025-2026)
  • LL.M./ Master’s Degree in Intellectual Property Law and Management (MIPLM) program offered jointly by WIPO, The Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) and National Law University, Delhi (NLUD) (2024-2026) 
  • Master’s Degree in Intellectual Property (MIP) program offered jointly by WIPO, ARIPO and Africa University, Mutare, Zimbabwe with the assistance of the Government of Japan (2024-2025) (News article)
  • Master’s Degree in Intellectual Property (MIP) program offered jointly by WIPO, OAPI and University of Yaoundé II, Yaoundé, Cameroon, with the assistance from the Government of Japan (2024-2025) (News article)
  • LL.M./ Master’s Degree in Intellectual Property Law and Management (MIPLM) program offered jointly by WIPO, The Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) and National Law University, Delhi (NLUD) (2024-2025) (News article)
Each year up to 10 selected students are granted scholarships by FIT Japan IP Global to participate in the WIPO Summer School in South Africa.
  1. WIPO International Patent Drafting Training Program. 8 to 10 participants are granted scholarships by FIT Japan IP Global to attend Geneva workshop in the WIPO International Patent Drafting Training Program.
  2. WIPO Regional Patent Drafting Training Program in Africa, Arab and Asia. A number of participants are granted scholarships by FIT Japan IP Global to attend workshop in the WIPO Regional Patent Drafting Training Program.
    • October 20 to 24, 2025 (Zimbabwe), October 27 to December 20, 2025 (Online) (News article)
    • January 27 to 30 and February 15 to March 31, 2025 (Online) (News article)

Fellowship programs

Long-term fellowship

In 1997, the first two fellowships under the FIT Japan fellowship program were awarded to a senior lecturer from Delhi University and to a senior manager from China’s State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of China. The fellowships were awarded to teachers or trainers of industrial property in industrial property offices, and faculty members engaged in the training or teaching of industrial property at universities.
Following the successful initial fellowship program at Osaka Institute of Technology (OIT) since 2016, three months’ fellowship at Japanese Universities has been offered to selected technology transfer professionals.

Under the pandemic of COVID-19 since 2020, the Online IP Study Courses, as a substitute program for this fellowship have been successfully held at the OIT.

  • Online IP study courses in Osaka, Japan, May 12 to July 29, 2022 (News article)
  • Online IP study courses in Osaka, Japan, September 28 to December 14, 2021 (News article)
  • Online IP study courses in Osaka, Japan, September 29, 2020 to January 19, 2021 (News article)

Short-term fellowship

Two-week period fellowship programs had been offered to IP-support institutions’ staffs in developing countries, who have completed the L.L.M course on IP under the WIPO scholarship.

The format of the programs has been changed since Japanese fiscal year 2022, and currently short-term fellowship programs have been offered to international students enrolled in Japanese Universities who are interested in and considering a career in IP. The programs are to be implemented in close cooperation with host entities that are expected to be patent firms, university technology transfer offices, or IP management offices of private companies and science parks in Japan, in order to offer students and young professionals of developing countries opportunities to gain practical experience in the field of IP.

Image: Africa University
Students learning about IP issues

Training

Training Program for Educators and Policymakers

Training program for teachers, curriculum designers, and education policymakers, providing practical　training by IP and innovation experts.
Recent topics:
  • Innovation, Creativity, IP and Entrepreneurship (INCIPE) - Regional Training Program for Educators and Policymakers in ASEAN countries, November 25 to 28, 2025, Hanoi (Viet Nam) (News article)
  • IP4Youth&Teachers Regional Training for ASEAN countries, November 18 to 21, 2024, Manila (the Philippines) (News article)

Workshops on IP enforcement

Workshops to build capacity of judicial and law enforcement officials have been held to discuss topical issues on building respect for IP and enhance participants’ knowledge and expertise in the field of enforcement of IP.
Recent topics:

Patent drafting courses

Patent drafting courses have been held to enhance capacities of potential trainers and key persons in developing countries.
Recent topics:
  • Africa: October 20 to 24, 2025 (Zimbabwe), October 27 to December 20, 2025 (Online) (News article)
  • International: June 23 to 27, 2025 (News article)
  • Arab: January 27 to 30, 2025 (Online) (News article)
  • International: June 24 to 28, 2024 (News article)

TISC support

FIT Japan IP Global has sponsored numerous seminars, workshops and trainings for Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISCs), which aim to enhance the capacity of researchers and inventors in developing countries to use IP information in their innovation activities.
Recent topics:
  • TISC Regional Meeting for ASEAN TISC Network, February 3-6 2026, Philippines
  • TISC Regional Meeting for Arab countries, November 5-6, Oman (News article)
  • TISC Regional Meeting for ARIPO, May 21-22, Zimbabwe
  • TISC Training Seminar, May 20, Zimbabwe
  • TISC Training workshop, March 3-4 2025, Cambodia (News article)
  • TISC Regional Meeting for ASEAN TISC Network, February 27-28, 2025, Cambodia (News article)
  • TISC Regional Meeting for TISC Networks in Central Asia, December 3-4, 2024, Kazakhstan
  • TISC Regional Meeting for Arab countries, October 23-24, 2024, Online
  • TISC Regional Meeting for ARIPO, June 6-7, 2024, Zimbabwe (News article)
  • September 28 and 29, 2023, Yaoundé (Cameroon)
  • February 23 and 24, 2023, Harare Zimbabwe) (News article)
  • March 14 to 16, 2023, Nouakchott (Mauritania) (News article)
  • March 27 and 28, 2023, Surabaya (Indonesia) (New article)
  • May 23 and 24, 2023, Algiers (Algeria) (News article, Meeting documents)