On September 3, 2024, the Shanghai International College of Intellectual Property (SICP) held the opening ceremony for the 2024 cohort of new students, which also marked the commencement of the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)-Tongji University joint Intellectual Property Master’s Program and the China’s Belt and Road Intellectual Property Master’s Program. The ceremony was hosted by Dr. Yu Xinmiao, Vice Dean (acting) of SICP.

Han Guoqing, Deputy Director-General of the International Cooperation Department of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), Martha Chikowore, Executive Director of WIPO Academy's Academic and Management Programs, Yu Chen, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Intellectual Property Office, Yang Jie, Director of the Higher Education Division of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Professor Lei Xinghui, former Vice President of Tongji University, Professor Joseph Straus, former Director of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Professors Shan Xiaoguang, Jiang Nan, Pi Yong, Ren Shengce, Ni Shoubin, and other faculty members of the college attended the ceremony. A total of 14 PhD students and 71 Master’s students enrolled, including 25 international students from 22 countries, including Tanzania, Serbia, and India.

Han Guoqing pointed out that in recent years, CNIPA has continuously improved the cooperation mechanism for intellectual property along the Belt and Road Initiative and signed agreements with intellectual property organizations to enhance cooperation with participating countries. One of the key components of the Belt and Road intellectual property cooperation is the training of intellectual property talent. He hopes that students will engage in deep exchanges, broaden their perspectives, and make continuous progress during their studies, building bridges of communication between nations, fostering mutual friendship and trust, and promoting friendly cooperation in intellectual property among Belt and Road countries to contribute to the development and advancement of global intellectual property.

Martha Chikowore expressed her gratitude for the strong support from CNIPA, the Shanghai municipal government, and Tongji University in nurturing international talent at SICP. She emphasized the growing importance of intellectual property in international trade and stated that the younger generation has the potential and ability to become entrepreneurs and innovators. She encouraged students to strive to create their own careers and contribute to a brighter and more competitive future for human society.

Yu Chen warmly congratulated and welcomed the new students, pointing out that the Shanghai Intellectual Property Office has been deeply implementing the national intellectual property strategy, promoting Shanghai’s development as an international intellectual property protection hub and an international intellectual property center city, contributing “Shanghai wisdom” and “Chinese solutions” to the construction of a more open, fair, and transparent global intellectual property system. He hopes students will enhance their professional capabilities and global perspectives at SICP, becoming the backbone of the global intellectual property field and an important force in promoting the development of global intellectual property.

Master’s student Jiang Qinjun, international student Rashid Adam Pima from the WIPO-Tongji University Intellectual Property Law Master’s Program, international student Slavojka Draskic from the Belt and Road Intellectual Property Master’s Program, and PhD student Huang Zhiming represented all the new students in sharing their thoughts. The new students expressed that intellectual property plays a pivotal role in today’s world as the foundation for protecting and encouraging innovation, creation, and economic growth. They look forward to their studies at SICP, which will be both challenging and meaningful. Under the guidance of their professors and mentors, they aim to contribute to the development of intellectual property in China and around the world with an open mind, firm spirit, and professional knowledge.