The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister PARK Bo Gyoon, MCST) together with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (Director LEE In-sil, KIPO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (Secretary General Daren TANG, WIPO), and the Korea Development Institute (KDI)  signed MoU on Master's Course in Intellectual Property Development Policy (MIPD) in Seoul on February 9 (Thur). This is the second signing of the agreement as the validation period of the business agreement signed by the KIPO, WIPO, KDI Graduate School of Public Policy and Management, and Sejong City expired in 2019.

The purpose of this MoU is to promote technological innovation and creative industry development in developing countries by running educational courses with intellectual property and economic development strategies, amid the growing importance of intellectual property, which is the core of economic growth and national competitiveness in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In particular, by reflecting the know-how of the MCST and the KIPO, which are the two government bodies responsible for intellectual property, and the KDI Graduate School, an educational institution specializing in development policy, into the curriculum, it is expected that Korea’s experience of transforming itself from the developing nation to the developed nation will be helpful to those countries planning their economic plan.

The Master’s Course in Intellectual Property Development Policy is a master’s degree program that has been in place since 2020. The detailed curriculum includes general theory of intellectual property, development policy, intellectual property and sustainable development, and innovative growth strategies. The MCST, KIPO, WIPO, and the KDI Graduate School of Public Policy and Management jointly design the curriculum, and the program is run by the KDI Graduate School of International Policy and Management.

Since the program started, a total of 53 trainees from 31 countries, including civil servants and intellectual property personnel from developing countries, have taken the courses. As Korea has been developing itself in the global arena, the number of prospective participants is increasing from the developing countries to learn Korea’s intellectual property-based economic growth and its know-how. With the MCST newly participating in this year’s MoU, it is expected that the educational effect will be further enhanced.

First Vice Minister of the MCST JEON Byeong Geuk said, “In 2021, K-content exports ($12.45 billion) will overtake home appliances ($8.67 billion), electric vehicles ($6.99 billion), and display panels ($3.6 billion). And the copyright trade balance recorded a surplus for 10 consecutive years since the first surplus recorded in 2013, showing that K-contents and the copyright industry have become emerging powerhouses in our export market at some point.” As a country with diverse charming attractive points, the government will actively support the education and training of excellent intellectual property talents in developing countries.”