China enhances efforts to boost IP talent pool

BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- China's intellectual property (IP) talent pool had grown to 860,000 by the end of 2023, the country's top IP regulator said Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference, Zhang Zhicheng, an official of the China National Intellectual Property Administration, noted that in terms of IP protection, over 30,000 professionals were engaged in administrative management and enforcement, while more than 2,200 talents staffed the established IP protection centers, significantly bolstering IP protection capabilities.

When it comes to IP applications, the country boasts 34,000 practicing patent agents and over 76,000 qualified patent agents. The number of IP experts in enterprises, universities and research institutions has significantly surged, accelerating the effective utilization of IP assets.

Internationally, about 270 talents were trained as international patent examiners. Additionally, China has selected more than 150 educators specializing in international IP affairs and 119 experts in overseas IP dispute resolution, underscoring the country's commitment to high-level international engagement.

In response to emerging trends, efforts have been ramped up to train essential talents in IP protection, focusing on new domains such as big data and artificial intelligence, as well as handling international IP disputes.

To widen the avenues for training, there is an ongoing emphasis on developing remote IP courses. To date, 98 high-quality courses have been launched online, continuously expanding the reach of training efforts.

Statistics indicate that more than 250 IP training sessions have been held since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), benefitting over 57,000 participants.

Across the nation, there are nearly 200 diverse IP research institutions, forming an interconnected and collaborative network for IP research. This network has cultivated a research team of around 6,000 professionals, providing essential support for local governments in making well-informed policy decisions.

In the development of talent hubs, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong have made significant strides in IP initiatives.

According to the Global Innovation Index 2023 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), China leads globally with 24 science and technology clusters landing in the top 100, with the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai-Suzhou clusters ranked 2nd, 4th and 5th, respectively.

Tsinghua University and WIPO jointly signed an agreement in November 2023 to establish a new master's program, "Intellectual Property and Innovation Policy," at the university's Law School.

This English program aims to enroll around 30 students globally, focusing on cultivating high-level IP professionals with a global vision. The inaugural cohort is scheduled to commence studies in September this year.

The program will feature top-tier faculty from Tsinghua University, WIPO, government bodies, courts, other renowned universities, multinational corporations and law firms. It is dedicated to cultivating outstanding international IP talent for both China and the broader global community, according to Zhou Guangquan, dean of School of Law, Tsinghua University.