On September 20th, 2022, the Shanghai International College of Intellectual Property (SICIP) held the 2022 orientation ceremony for the new students and the opening ceremony of WIPO-Tongji MIP in Industrial Property and Chinese Government “Belt and Road” Master’s Degree Program in Intellectual Property. A total of 10 doctoral students and 78 master’s students were enrolled this year, including 26 international students from 20 countries such as Russia, Sweden, Cuba, Uganda and Rwanda.

Mr. BAI Guangqing, Director-General of the International Cooperation Department of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), Ms. Martha Chikowore, Counsellor of WIPO Academy, Mr. LV Guoqiang, Senior Counsellor of WIPO Office in China, Ms. MAO Lijuan, Deputy Director-General of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Mr. YU Chen, Deputy Director-General of Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration, Mr. Klaus Bacher, Chief Judge from German Federal Court Of Justice and Prof. LEI Xinghui, vice president of Tongji University were invited to present the Orientation Ceremony. Mr. QIN Wenzhong, the Chairman of the SICIP Council, associate Prof. YU Xinmiao, executive Vice Dean of the SICIP and more than 10 faculty representatives from the SICIP attended the ceremony. This orientation ceremony was hosted by assistant professor LIU Xia.

Mr. BAI Guangqing thanked Tongji University for its long-term support to the WIPO-Tongji MIP in Industrial Property and Chinese Government “Belt and Road” Master’s Degree Program in Intellectual Property. He spoke highly of the hard work of the teachers and extended his best wishes to the students who are admitted this year. He hopes that the students will study hard and make continuous progress in Tongji University, become an active participant in the construction of the global intellectual property ecosystem and a friendly messenger of exchanges between China and other countries, and contribute to the common development of the global intellectual property industry.

Ms. Martha Chikowore appreciated the CNIPA, the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and Tongji University for their support of international talent development at the SICIP and stressed the growing importance of intellectual property rights in international trade. WIPO will provide students with study and life support, and expect that the students will master the required knowledge and skills during the program, focus on solving new problems in enterprises, countries, regions and even the global scale as well as do their best for the development of the country and the world.

Mr. LV Guoqiang confirmed the achievements made by the SICIP in faculty development, personnel training, scientific research and intellectual property cooperation, and pointed out that the WIPO-Tongji MIP program is the seventh program set up by WIPO worldwide and is the first and only high-end personnel training program on intellectual property in China. As an extension of WIPO in China, WIPO Office in China will continue to strengthen cooperation and coordination with all Chinese parties and provide better services to all Chinese stakeholders. WIPO Office in China will also continue to pay attention to and support the development of the SICIP, so as to cultivate more international and professional high-end talents in intellectual property for Shanghai and China.

Ms. MAO Lijuan pointed out that, Shanghai Municipal Education Commission strongly support the SICIP to focus on student training, actively explore various ways to utilize high-quality teaching faculties at home and abroad, cooperate with high-level universities abroad, actively participate in international educational services and cultural exchanges, and actively expand educational cooperation and exchanges with international organizations. It is hoped that students will make the most of the opportunity of studying in the SICIP, be good at exploration, be willing to discover, keep the enthusiasm of pursuing truth and continuous innovation, apply what they have learned to practical work, and become international talents with international vision, familiar with international rules and able to participate in international affairs.

Mr. Yu Chen extended his warm welcome and sincere congratulations to the new students, and expressed his heartfelt thanks to WIPO, the CNIPA, the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Tongji University for their long-term support to Shanghai’s intellectual property industry. The SICIP, which has been established based on Tongji University, is making steady progress in building a world-class training platform with Chinese characteristics for intellectual property talents and a high-end think tank. Starting from Shanghai, a large number of high-end intellectual property talents are actively engaged in intellectual property industry to serve the development strategy of the city and the country. The Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration will continue to make greater efforts to support the training of international intellectual property talents and the construction of the SICIP.

Prof. LEI Xinghui welcomed the new students on behalf of Tongji University. He pointed out that the SICIP focuses on international cooperation, interdisciplinary and inter-city collaboration, pursues and leads the cutting-edge research in the field of intellectual property, and has made outstanding achievements in personnel training, scientific research and social services. Entering to a new stage of development, Tongji University will strive to create a more open, active and dynamic environment for human resource for intellectual property. He hopes that students can learn real knowledge and skills in Tongji University, and apply them to the work of solving common problems and challenges of mankind, and practice the new era of Tongji culture of “helping the world, advocating science, leading innovation, and pursuing excellence”.

Mr. Klaus Bacher stated that studying the intellectual property laws of various countries is a good way to understand the law. Students can gain study experience by listening to the knowledge and experience provided by professors, reading legal texts and decisions, and interacting with students from different countries. During the pandemic, modern communication devices can be fully utilized for communication. He wishes that the students can enjoy their time at the SICIP, learn extensively, exchange deeply and make progress together.

On behalf of the faculty of the College, Mr. DANG Jianwei congratulated the new postgraduate students on their new journey of life, and expressed his gratitude to their families, friends, teachers, government agencies and international organizations for their encouragement and support. With students from different countries and backgrounds, as well as various law and management courses, the SICIP provides students with rich learning content and experience support for their study and progress. The background of innovative social development brings many challenges to the intellectual property system. It is hoped that students will be highly sensitive to law and issues, have a stronger sense of responsibility and solid scientific research to meet the challenges, explore their potential and realize their dreams.

Ms. LEI Lei and Mr. Nsabimana Jean de Dieu, student representatives of WIPO-Tongji MIP in Industrial Property, Ms Pokrovskaya Anna, student representative of Chinese Government “Belt and Road” Master’s Degree Program in Intellectual Property, Ms. YAO Jingwen, Ph.D. student representative, delivered their speeches. They said that they would cherish the opportunity of studying specialized knowledge and skills, communicating with many experts from all over the world and participating in the international project and the chance of conducting scientific research with the top scholars. They will actively face the digital economy and new technology in the era of opportunities and challenges, maintain a positive attitude, a healthy body and the passion for truth and knowledge, not afraid of difficulties and keep going. Moreover, they will improve their thinking and problem-solving abilities and work for an innovative community of shared future.

In 2016, with the support of WIPO and the CNIPA, Shanghai Municipal People’s Government established the Shanghai International College of Intellectual Property at Tongji University, which has gathered many internationally and domestically renowned experts and scholars in intellectual property to cultivate high-level intellectual property talents for the world. By now, the SICIP has enrolled six generations of the Master’s Degree Program in Intellectual Property jointly offered by WIPO (the only one in China) and the Chinese Government “Belt and Road” Master’s Degree Program together entrusted by the CNIPA and the Ministry of Education to be established at Tongji University. At present, four alumni of the SICIP have been officially inducted into WIPO. In July 2021, WIPO and Tongji University signed the updated Memorandum of Understanding for the WIPO-Tongji Master’s Degree Program in Intellectual Property Law (WIPO MIP Program). On the basis of existing cooperation, the two parties will work together to cultivate more high-end international intellectual property talents with interdisciplinary backgrounds.