Title of Assignment: Training Assistant – Support for Academic Institutions and Executive Programs and New Requests for IP Education in Arab Speaking countries and other regions.

Name of unit/sector: Academic Institutions and Executive Program (AIP), WIPO Academy.

Place of Assignment: WIPO-based in Geneva.

Expected places of travel (if applicable): Yes.

Expected duration of assignment: From January 2 to December 31, 2024.

1. Background and Objective of the assignment

The Academic Institutions and Executive Program (AIP) of the WIPO Academy supports intellectual property (IP) higher education in cooperation with selected academic institutions in Africa, Arab, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Latin America.  It is responsible for the WIPO joint Masters’ programs, as well as tailored support to universities in response to requests from Member States and universities in developing countries, LDCs and countries with economies in transition. The main form of such support is the development of IP curricula, syllabi, provision of IP academic materials, support of IP professors and experts.  It also supports academic research and teaching in the field of IP and cooperates in the organization of IP conferences and colloquia.

Demand for AIP’s services has increased substantially in recent years and the number of joint Masters’ programs and IP higher education cooperation agreements managed by AIP has also seen significant growth.

To respond to this exceptional increase in workload, AIP requires the services of a Training Assistant hired through an individual services contract.  The Training Assistant will be responsible for analyzing requests for assistance and recommending appropriate IP professors and experts to draft curricula, syllabi, and IP programs from in Arab speaking countries and other regions. The Training Assistant will support the identification and submission of procurement requests for IP reference books and other teaching resources for partner universities and assist in the scheduling of experts participating in partner programs. The Training Assistant will support the organization of IP Colloquia, conference, WIPO Summer Schools in Arab Speaking Countries and other regions. In addition, the Training Assistant will work with partner universities to undertake tracer studies to enable the Academy to assess better the impact of the Joint Masters’ Degree programs in the Arab region.

2. Tasks/deliverables

The Contractor will:

(a) Plan, initiate and coordinate effective implementation of requests from Arab Speaking Countries related to WIPO’s Joint Masters’ Degree Programs, Executive Programs and WIPO Summer Schools in coordination with the Division for Arab Countries.
(b) Analyze needs and appraise the suitability of proposed activities.
(c) Promote and support requests for establishment of IP higher learning with recommendation for relevant IP curricula, syllabi, programs in Arab Speaking Countries and other regions upon demand. Advise on the implementation of those new requests with workable plans, priorities and strategic objectives, as well as IP teaching methodologies for the Joint Masters’ Programs, Executive Programs and WIPO Summer Schools.
(d) Identify and support the development of partnerships with other academic institutions in Arab Speaking Countries and other regions and promote the effective collaboration in offering IP education at higher schools of learning.
(e) Prepare briefing notes, statements, reports and presentations related to IP teaching and research and IP conferences.
(f) Develop and coordinate IP conferences and AIP’s effective communication of its work in this area in consultation with the relevant Divisions and substantive sectors.
(g) Perform other duties, as required.

3. Reporting 

The Contractor will be under the direct supervision of the Counsellor, AIP, WIPO Academy.

4. Requirements

The Contractor should have an advanced University degree in law and a relevant field in Intellectual Property.  Minimum of three years of relevant work experience in IP teaching or research.

Client service-oriented, resourceful and with excellent communication skills, including excellent written and spoken knowledge of Arabic and English is mandatory.

5. Duration of contract and payment

The contract will start on January 2, 2024, and will end on December 31, 2024 working 100% (maximum 21 days per calendar month).  Applicants are requested to provide an indication of their remuneration expectations in Swiss francs (daily rate).  The contract will be renewed upon satisfactory performance, up to a maximum of 24 months.