On 7 March, a letter of intent was signed between the Jagiellonian University, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland. The letter is the first step in establishing formal cooperation on opening a the new Intellectual Property and New Technologies Master’s study programme at the JU Faculty of Law and Administration.
The document was signed by JU Vice-Rector for Research and Structural Funds Prof. Stanisław Kistryn, Executive Director of the Office of Strategic Use of Intellectual Property for Development of WIPO Sherif Saadallah, and President of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland Dr Alicja Adamczak.
The participants of the meeting gathered in the Libraria Room of JU Collegium Maius. As emphasised by the JU Rector Prof. Wojciech Nowak, programmes such as this one are very important for the development of Polish economy as well as its innovativeness and competitiveness. WIPO is the is the largest worldwide organisation concerned with intellectual property, and there are only six universities in the world which have had, to date, entered into a partnership with it by introducing a dedicated intellectual property study programme: University of Turin, Ankara University, University of Buenos Aires, University of Queensland, Shanghai University, and Africa University.
WIPO Academy, a subsection of WIPO devoted to teaching affairs, is ordinarily very reluctant to engage itself even in informal cooperation, so an official agreement is crucial not only for the Jagiellonian University, but also Poland. Choosing the Jagiellonian University in Kraków is a great honour and a sign of recognition of its teaching standards. It also shows appreciation for the developments in the area of intellectual property lawmade by the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland.
It is worth to mention that there is no other university in Poland which offers study programmes in intellectual property and new technologies. The few post-diploma programmes that available are vastly different in terms of their curricula. Additionally, opening a new study programme for both Polish and foreign students will undoubtedly increase the attractiveness of the educational offer of the Jagiellonian University and its level of internationalisation.
Graduates of Intellectual Property and New Technologies study programme will be prepared to work in international organisations and businesses concerned with new technologies. Completing the programme may also be a form of increasing one’s professional competencies in the area of law.
