Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz and Mr. Joseph Carlo V. Vergel, MSc, both faculty members and researchers of the Department of Biological Sciences at the College of Science, were awarded Fellows of the Pioneering Intellectual Property Programme (PIPP) for ASEAN Young Researchers.
The PIP fellows were invited to participate in a series of lectures from November 2020 to February 2021 which culminated in a workshop and commencement exercise. Each session was delivered by IP professionals from LES societies in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Austria, and Singapore, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the European Patent Office (EPO).
Through the PIPP Fellowship, ASEAN young researchers were trained in the fundamentals of IP knowledge and engage with IP experts. Young researchers also networked with other professionals within and beyond their fields of expertise and are expected to stimulate a shift towards an academic culture that promotes interactions between scientists, industry, and business/investors.
ASEAN PIPP is the flagship programme of the ASEAN Young Scientists Network (ASEAN YSN) in collaboration with the Licensing Executives Society International (LESI), particularly its Industry-University-Government Transactions (IUGT) Committee. Through this initiative, ASEAN YSN and LESI hope to create a pool of IP-competent ASEAN researchers who will champion Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) in the region.
In recognition of the role that research plays in sustaining economic growth and societal well-being in the region, many Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States have made significant investments to enhance their science and technological capacity. A nation’s research progress is often determined through quantifiable metrics such as the size of the technology talent pool, number of research institutions, publications, and patents. Young researchers play an important role in the STI landscape. They possess expertise and experience and adapt to the rapid changing nature of STI. Young scientists are also future leaders who can influence relevant policies on the implementation of STI to effectively address societal needs.
