On September 7, 2021, Shanghai International College of Intellectual Property (SICIP) held the 2021 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 in Intellectual Property.

Prof. Xinghui Lei, Vice President of Tongji University, Mr. Jian Liu, Deputy Director-General of International Cooperation of the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), Ms. Martha Chikowore, Counselor of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Academy, Mr. Chen Yu, Deputy Director-General of Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration, Prof. Joseph Straus, Former Director of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Germany, and Prof. Xiaoting Song, Chairman of College Council of SICIP, attended the ceremony. 14 Ph.D. students, 76 Chinese Master's students, and 21 international students from 12 countries, including Tajikistan, India, Sweden, and Chad, were admitted this year. The orientation ceremony was moderated by Associate Professor Nan Jiang, Deputy Dean of SICIP.

Mr. Jian Liu, Deputy Director-General of International Cooperation of CNIPA, expressed his gratitude to Tongji University for its support of the WIPO-Tongji MIP in Industrial Property and Chinese Government "Belt and Road" Master's Degree in Intellectual Property, his appreciation to the teachers for their hard work, and his congratulations and welcome to the new students. He hoped that the new students would cherish the opportunity to study at SICIP and make the most of it. They would broaden their international horizons, enhance their abilities in all areas through their studies, and gain friendships at the same time.

Ms. Martha Chikowore, Counselor of WIPO Academy, introduced the history of cooperation between WIPO and Tongji University and recalled the successful signing of the second edition of MOU with Tongji University. She thanked CNIPA, the Shanghai Municipal Government, and Tongji University for their support for the international talent training of SICIP. She hoped that the students would cherish the opportunity and embrace the challenges, learn more about intellectual property and work together for global development.

Mr. Chen Yu, Deputy General Director of Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration, thanked the WIPO, the CNIPA, and Tongji University for their support for the construction and development of SICIP. Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration fully supports the international cooperation and talent cultivation conducted by SICIP, Tongji University, WIPO, and internationally renowned universities and institutions. He hoped that the students could improve their intercultural communication and cooperation abilities during their studies and communications, become intellectual property elites with creative thinking and innovative action, and make their contributions to the mutual understanding and friendly cooperation in the field of international intellectual property.

Prof. Xinghui Lei, Vice President of Tongji University, on behalf of the university, expressed his congratulations and welcomed to the new students, his respect to the teachers who have worked diligently and selflessly in their positions of education, and his thanks to the WIPO, the CNIPA, Shanghai Municipal Government and all sectors of the society who have devoted their care, guidance and support to the development of the College. Prof. Xinghui Lei hoped that the students could hold fast to their dreams and find partners who share the same goals; hold fast to their ambitions and care for the world; hold fast to their responsibilities and work hard to make their best contribution to the development of intellectual property in their counties and the building of a new global order of fairness and justice in the future.

Prof. Joseph Straus, Former Director of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Germany, congratulated the new students and pointed out the importance of intellectual property in scientific research innovation and national economic development. He hoped that the teachers and students of SICIP could work hard together in the new semester and further students' success in their studies and career.

Mr. Peng Wang and Mr. Chokkalingam Ulaganathan, student representatives of WIPO-Tongji MIP in Industrial Property, Mr. Khursandzoda Sunatullo, student representative of Chinese Government "Belt and Road" Master's Degree in Intellectual Property and Ms. Lanqing Ge, Ph.D. student representative, delivered their speeches. They said that they would remain positive, keep their feet on the ground, cultivate a global mindset, and continue to enrich their knowledge structure with the full support of multiple analytical perspectives, multi-dimensional research approaches, and multi-disciplinary backgrounds to develop their skills and talents on a higher platform to work together for the development of the country and a better future for the world.

Prof. Xiaoting Song, Chairman of the College Council of SICIP, thanked the WIPO, the CNIPA, and the Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration for their support for the development of the College. He hoped that the new students would keep track of what they think and what they feel, make clear their goals for growth, and in the process of their study and practice, constantly review their original intentions, correct their direction of development, and achieve progress and breakthroughs.

In the end, all the guests, teachers, and students took a group photo together.

In 2016, with the support of the WIPO and the CNIPA, Shanghai Municipal 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. SICIP, with the focus on international cooperation, disciplinary interaction, and city collaboration, has been able to follow and lead the frontier research in the field of intellectual property and has achieved remarkable results in talent training, scientific research, and social services. By now, SICIP has enrolled five 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.