A Japan First! Three Universities Team Up to Promote IP Education in Elementary, Junior High, and High Schools - Comprehensive Agreement in Intellectual Property between OU, OKU, and OIT

On Friday, November 10, in order to promote “Intellectual Property (IP) Creation Education,” which aims for IP education and IP human resource development , an agreement was concluded between the Intellectual Property Center at Osaka University, the Center of Science Education at Osaka Kyoiku University, and the School/Graduate School of Intellectual Property at Osaka Institute of Technology.

“IP Creation Education” is an endeavor in human resource development to cultivate a sense of creativity which serves as the source of new discoveries and ideas in children from the time they are in elementary school, increase understanding of the importance of protecting and making use of IP according to their developmental stage to create a virtuous IP creation cycle.

Moving forward, the three universities will participate in the “Regional Consortium to Expand IP Creation Education” (*1) sponsored by the Cabinet Office, by developing teaching materials, providing IP lessons to elementary, junior high, and high school students in Osaka Prefecture, enlightening elementary, junior high, and high school educators on IP, and facilitating mutual cooperation with IP education at universities.

*1 The “Regional Consortium to Expand IP Creation Education” is comprised of municipalities, schools, universities, and corporations with the aim of promoting IP creation education in the area, and promoting this structure as a regional consortium is described in the IP Strategic Plan. One of the 4 regional consortiums was established in the Kansai area and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC serves as an administrator.