WIPO Academy Signs Memorandum of Understanding with INPI

On November 22, 2017, the WIPO Academy and National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the WIPO Brazil Office (WBO). The document transfers the management and administration of the Academy’s Distance Learning (DL) courses in Portuguese to INPI, and foresees developing customised versions according for the Brazilian market. 

The MoU also establishes that INPI will manage a consortium of national universities that will offer academic credits for WIPO DL courses as part of their degree programs at INPI Academy.  This is the first official consortium of its kind for the WIPO Academy and six universities have already joined.

A technical meeting involving the WBO, WIPO Academy and Academy of INPI also took place and focused on debating strategies for developing and offering  advanced, customized DL courses, in line with feedback from Brazilian institutions.

Mr. Sherif Saadallah, Executive Director of WIPO Academy, delivered a keynote lecture to fifteen professors and managers from the INPI Academy at their premises.  Mr. Saadallah presented the activities of the WIPO Academy and the challenges for the next biennium. On November 23 and 24, Ms. Altaye Tedla, Head of the Distance Learning Program, delivered  training sessions on the customization of DL courses to a target audience of 12 IP experts identified by INPI.