The 15th edition of the Joint Master’s in Intellectual Property (MIP) Program at the University of Yaoundé II successfully concluded on June 27, 2025. The program is organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) with support from the Funds-In-Trust Japan Industrial Property Global (FIT/Japan IP Global).
A total of 39 participants from 15 countries —Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo—took part in the 15th edition. Among them, 12 participants received scholarships from FIT Japan IP Global and successfully completed the MIP Program, gaining valuable knowledge and hands-on experience in the field of intellectual property.
Mr. Kenya Uehara, Chargé d’Affaires a.i, the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Cameroon attended the graduation ceremony on June 27, 2025, held in OAPI and emphasized the importance of intellectual property in business and innovation during his congratulatory speech. The graduating students are expected to play leading roles in promoting the teaching, use, and protection of intellectual property in Africa.
Prior to the graduation ceremony, at the opening ceremony on January 24, 2025, Ms. Hanaka Koyama, Second Secretary, the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Cameroon delivered her opening remarks. During the residential phase, Mr. Junichi Nagumo, Deputy Director of the Regional Cooperation Section at the International Cooperation Division of the Japan Patent Office delivered an online lecture on Japanese IP system on April 14, 2025.
About the MIP Program
The joint Master's degree program in Intellectual Property (IP) was established in 2010 between WIPO, OAPI, and the University of Yaoundé II in Cameroon to meet the academic needs of participants from the French-speaking African region.
The program comprises distance learning and residential phases and includes a research component. Participants in the MIP program benefit from practical training at OAPI headquarters which equips graduates with the essential skills required for careers in government, academia, and industry