Sakpatenti Training Centre has launched the Special Project for Creation of Pool of Trainers

“Training of Trainers in Intellectual Property Law” is a new project of the Training Centre of the National Intellectual Property Centre of Georgia Sakpatenti. It is aimed to train law students, lawyers and teachers and give them the qualification of intellectual property law trainers.

Ms. Ana Dalakishvili, Head of Sakpatenti Training Centre, notes that for the development of the intellectual property field, it is significant to teach IP within both the formal and informal education systems. Taking into account the specificity of this sphere, trainers require as the knowledge in the intellectual property field as well as the methodology of its teaching. That is exactly why Sakpatenti Training Centre has developed the special project aimed at creation of the pool of trainers. Students of the Master’s Degree of the Law Faculty of Tbilisi State University (TSU) participated in the project. In parallel with their professional activities, they had an opportunity to acquire knowledge on the methodology of drafting a teaching syllabus and to familiarize with intellectual property subject-matters. In addition, the Head of Sakpatenti Training Centre notes that wide dissemination of the program and involvement of representatives of other fields are also planned for the future. 

“On the basis of the students’ feedback, we may conclude that the program was implemented successfully. At this stage, 10 students of Master’s Degree of the Law Faculty of TSU participated in the project. Our objective is to conduct the awareness raising training programs with a high standard and to offer teaching in this field through homogeneous, systemic approaches. Proceeding from the comprehensive nature of the sphere, the demand for passing the training of trainers is quite high and representatives of various segments apply to us. At this stage the target groups of the training are law students, lawyers and teachers. But in future we are naturally considering the possibility of offering the training for representatives of other spheres as well. We also intend to disseminate the program widely, to improve and adjust it to the necessities of particular groups, and involve not only students, teachers and lawyers, but also representatives of other target groups. As I have noted, this year we wish to concentrate on these three target circles and accordingly the following training will be delivered for teachers. Interested persons can watch our communications channels. In general, the profession of a trainer becomes increasingly demanded, especially in such a topical and interesting field as intellectual property,” - Ms. Ana Dalakishvili notes. 

Sakpatenti Training Centre, together with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Academy, is working on introduction of new courses. In addition to the “General Course on Intellectual Property (DL101GE)”, an advanced course adapted in the Georgian language will be introduced already during the current year. It is also planned to launch the joint course of Sakpatenti and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) Academy. 

“One of the objectives of the Sakpatenti and the Training Centre is to facilitate as far as possible increasing the number of professionals, which is a global challenge of this field. To this end, we cooperate actively with international partners, including WIPO and EUIPO. Along with the DL101GE, which is a general free Georgian-language distance learning course on intellectual property, after completion of which WIPO certificate is issued, this year we are introducing the advanced course as well, DL302. It is also a distance learning course and it covers three IP subject-matters: trademarks, designs and geographical indications. The course mostly describes the role of these three subject-matters in world trade and economy. The academic support of the course is provided by WIPO tutors. The basic target groups are lawyers, researchers of this field and students. Sakpatenti is translating the course into the Georgian language and customizing it to comply with the legislation of Georgia.  

As a result of cooperation with EUIPO, in 2021 it is planned to develop in the Georgian language and to introduce the joint course of Sakpatenti and EUIPO Academy “IP as a Valuable Business Asset”, after which a joint certificate for the participants will be issued. The project is in the process of elaboration and the course will be launched in near future. The course will facilitate informing the business sector on the importance of the intellectual property rights and will increase the number of applications filed for protection of IP subject-matters.

We are also closely cooperating with universities, as our aim is to ensure active integration of intellectual property into study curricula from the beginning level of education,” – Ms. Ana Dalakishvili notes.

In her words, the main challenge for education in this field is that there does not exist the Master’s Program on intellectual property in Georgia.

“Our objective is to integrate advanced level teaching of intellectual property into the educational system. Introduction of the Master’s program will be a significant result not only for Georgia but also for the region. We are glad that this issue is on the agenda and preparatory steps have also been taken. Top officials of Sakpatenti and WIPO are actively engaged in this process and at present particular issues are being agreed,” – says Ms. Ana Dalakishvili.

Intellectual property law trainer, lawyer Ms. Elene Shengelia speaks of her positive experience with respect of Sakpatenti Training Centre. She says that the knowledge and experience gained as a result of the program give her an opportunity to participate herself in the process of raising public awareness on intellectual property.

She notes that every local or foreign company needs a qualified IP lawyer, therefore, she advises every student, practicing lawyer or persons interested in the IP field to participate in the training offered by Sakpatenti, which personally for her is associated with receiving priority knowledge and experience. 

According to Ms. Elene Shengelia’s evaluation, to be an IP trainer is a great responsibility and at the same time it is quite prospective on the modern labour market. 

“I would say that the knowledge and experience gained within the program has distinctive priority among the knowledge and experience I have received in the recent years. Within the program, experts of the given field shared the techniques of intellectual property teaching; they evaluated the legislative basis regulating the field and the significant practice of the national and international courts. Hence, on the basis of the knowledge and experience received after the completion of the above-mentioned program, I have an opportunity to participate myself in the process of raising public awareness on intellectual property.

My practical activities as the lawyer mostly linked with the sphere of intellectual property law, thus, in my opinion, the experience shared by the experts of this sphere on separate problematic issues will render me essential assistance in strategic disputes. Knowledge of intellectual property teaching techniques and methodology to a considerable degree increases the demand for a trainer on the modern labour market. 

The program of training of trainers, developed by the Training Centre of Sakpatenti, is linked with quite large-scale objectives and it trains qualified trainers of the relevant sphere on the educational market. To be a participant of this initiative is in fact a great chance. On the one hand, you familiarize fully with one of the most topical and legally demanded fields, and, on the other one, this knowledge increases the demand for you on the employment market,” – Ms. Elene Shengelia notes.