Vice-mayor of Shanghai visits SICIP

The delegation led by Chen Qun (left, middle), vice-mayor of Shanghai, holds a meeting with representatives of Tongji University. [Photo/tongji.edu.cn]

A delegation led by Chen Qun, vice-mayor of Shanghai, visited Shanghai International College of Intellectual Property (SICIP) of Tongji University, to research on the current status of the college, on May 3.

Other members of the delegation included Zong Ming, deputy secretary-general of Shanghai municipal government, and Rui Wenbiao, deputy director-general of Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration.

The guests were received by Fang Shou’en, secretary of the CPC Party Committee of Tongji University; Zhong Zhihua, president of Tongji University; Jiang Bo and Lei Xinghui, both vice-presidents of the university, and Shan Xiaoguang, dean of SICIP.

During the meeting, President Zhong Zhihua extended his warm welcome to the visiting delegation, and then briefed them on the achievements made by Tongji University in regards to building academic disciplines, developing professionals and commercializing research findings. He also briefed on the challenges faced by the university during its developmental process.

Professor Shan Xiaoguang elaborated on the background and current development of SICIP. Vice-President Lei Xinghui introduced the present status of the development of IP discipline at Tongji University. Vice-President Jiang Bo gave an account on the international exchanges conducted by the college.

Party Secretary Fang Shou’en said that Tongji University had been active in acting on the national strategy of “innovation-driven development”, “Belt & Road Initiative”, and Shanghai’s initiative of “building a science & Technology Innovation Center with global influence”.

By virtue of the multi-disciplinary academic resources and its prominent international elements, Tongji strived to promote the development of IP discipline at the university, strengthen the development of IP professionals and support the development of Shanghai Free Trade Pilot Zone.

Rui Wenbiao, in his remarks, thought highly of the accomplishments of SICIP in one year since its establishment. He said that Shanghai Intellectual Property Administration would continue to support the building of SICIP, and devote greater efforts to offer its support in respect of professionals training, strategy research, and transfer and management of intellectual property.

Zong Ming expressed her hopes that SICIP would further intensify its cooperation with international organizations, world-renowned research institutions as well as other law firms, and actively explore the option of developing international education programs and mechanisms.

Vice-Mayor Chen Qun positively commented on the achievements made by Tongji University in IP discipline and made in-depth discussion with participants of the symposium regarding the pattern of training IP professionals. He emphasized that intellectual property work played an important role in Shanghai’s strategy of building “a Science & Technology Innovation Center with global influence” as well as “a city as center of intellectual property in Asia-Pacific Region”.

He vowed that the municipal government would spare no efforts in promoting the building and developing SICIP.

Shanghai International College of Intellectual Property (SICIP) of Tongji University was established on Nov 17, 2016, with the support of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China (SIPO) and Shanghai municipal government.

Currently, SICIP has two international programs: WIPO-Tongji Master Degree Program in Intellectual Property Law with Specialization in Design (MIP in Design or WIPO-Tongji MIP) and the Belt and Road Master Degree Program in Intellectual Property (B&R MIP).

Tongji University is the first and only university in China (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) to jointly develop a master degree program in cooperation with the WIPO. In addition, it is also the first university in China to undertake the Belt and Road Master Degree Program in Intellectual Property with the Chinese Government Intellectual Property Scholarship commissioned by the Ministry of Education and SIPO.

Fang Shou’en, Party secretary of Tongji University, makes remarks at the meeting with the visiting delegation. [Photo/tongji.edu.cn]

Chen Qun listens to the report from the representatives of Tongji University. [Photo/tongji.edu.cn]