WIPO and University of Turin Team up to Offer Post-Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property
Geneva, May 12, 2000
Press Releases PR/2000/221
The University of Turin and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) signed on Friday an agreement that paves the way for the granting of a joint post-graduate diploma in intellectual property law. The agreement was signed by WIPO Director General, Dr. Kamil Idris, and the Rector of the University of Turin, Professor Rinaldo Bertolino, at WIPO's Geneva headquarters.
"This agreement signals a milestone in the fledgling history of the WIPO Worldwide Academy," said Dr. Idris. "This marks the first opportunity for the Academy to grant, jointly with one of Europe's finest and oldest academic institutions, a post-graduate degree in intellectual property law," he added.
The WIPO Worldwide Academy (WWA), set up in 1998 as a center for the development of human resources in intellectual property, and the University of Turin have jointly designed and launched this new Post-Graduate Specialization Course on Intellectual Property Law. This initiative took shape following an official visit by Dr. Idris to Italy in September 1998.
The three-month course program is specifically designed for professors and professionals with a grounding in intellectual property law who wish to acquire the knowledge and skills required to play a more active role in its teaching and practice. Half of the 40 students admitted to the course each year, will be sponsored by the WWA and will come from developing countries. The other 20 students will be selected from Italy and other industrialized countries. The first course will take place from September 4 to November 30, 2000 in Turin and will be conducted in English. The Italian government will co-sponsor this program through the Department for Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The growth of local human resource capacities in the field of intellectual property and the training of trainers is among the long-term objectives of this course," said Dr. Idris. In this respect, he underlined the extensive experience of the University of Turin, which, in collaboration with the International Training Center of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Turin and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been offering a similar post-graduate diploma in International Trade Law for several years.
The curriculum covers seven modules: patent law, trademark law, copyright law, unfair competition and trade secrets, sui generis rights, antitrust, intellectual property implications of digital technology and electronic commerce. Teaching will center on the international legislative aspects of intellectual property law. Teachers will be chosen jointly by WIPO and the University of Turin, which was founded in 1405 and today has some 70,000 students, 1,300 professors and nearly 800 researchers and assistants.
The 13-week course will be held at the premises of the ILO International Training Center in Turin. Successful candidates will be awarded a diploma bearing the joint logo of WIPO and the University of Turin.
Also present at the Geneva signing ceremony were other University officials, namely Professors Marco Ricolfi and Massimo Travostino. The Italian government was represented by His Excellency Mr. Andrea Negrotto Cambiaso, Permanent Representative of the Italian Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Mr. Massimo Leggeri, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Italian Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Mr. Raffaele Langella, Second Secretary at the Mission, and Mr. Zamboni di Salerano, Minister Plenipotentiary, Delegate for International Intellectual Property Agreements at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Mr. François Tremaud, Director General of the ILO International Training Center and Mr. Giulio Piva, Deputy Director of the ILO International Training Center, were also present.
For more detailed information, please contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs Section:
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