Sakpatenti and ELSA Summer School hosted numerous international students in Georgia from various European countries

Law students from universities of nine European Union member states, along with the United Kingdom, Montenegro, Serbia, Türkiye, and Azerbaijan, completed an intensive academic program at the Sakpatenti Intellectual Property Education and Training Center as part of the International Summer School on Intellectual Property Law.

The International Summer School on Intellectual Property Law has been organized annually since 2016 as part of the cooperation between the European Law Students' Association (ELSA) and the National Intellectual Property Center of Georgia - Sakpatenti. Over 10-year history of the program, more than 200 students from leading universities across the European Union and other European countries have participated in it.

The Summer School of Law aims to provide future legal professionals with a solid understanding of the theoretical and practical foundations of intellectual property law, to deepen their knowledge of intellectual property system and national legislation of Georgia, as well as international standards, and to promote the development of international professional networks among young lawyers.

As part of the five-day academic program, participants explored various areas of intellectual property protection, including inventions and the patent system, trademarks, industrial designs, geographical indications, and copyright and the related rights.

At the conclusion of the program, Mr. Soso Giorgadze, Chairman of Sakpatenti, addressed the participants. He congratulated the students on successfully completing the Summer School and noted that, in the era of innovation and emerging technologies, intellectual property is one of the key foundations of economic, social, and cultural development of the country. Accordingly, educational initiatives of this kind play a particularly important role not only in raising awareness on intellectual property among young people, but also in fostering greater interest in this field and supporting the professional development of talented, motivated students.

The Chairman of Sakpatenti also emphasized the importance of sharing experience among countries, as well as establishment of common approaches and best practices, noting that such cooperation contributes to the effective functioning of the global intellectual property system.

Mr. Soso Giorgadze expressed hope that the Summer School participants would be interested in the joint master's program, "Intellectual Property, Innovation and Entrepreneurship," offered by Sakpatenti, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and Kutaisi International University (KIU).

It is noteworthy that the training was conducted in an interactive format, incorporating practical exercises and role-playing activities. The program was led by WIPO-certified trainers from the Sakpatenti Intellectual Property Education and Training Center.

As part of the Summer School, the students also visited the "Tbilisi" Customs Clearance Economic Zone of the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, where they learned about customs procedures, practical mechanisms for enforcing intellectual property rights, and methods for combating counterfeiting.

The students also visited the Georgia's Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA), where they learned about the key areas of activity of the Agency, programs supporting the development of the country's innovation ecosystem, and technology transfer mechanisms. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of the relationship between innovation and the patent system.

The closing ceremony of the Summer School took place at Sakpatenti's Mtskheta office, where Chairman of Sakpatenti awarded the participants with certificates confirming the successful completion of the training.