In July 2022, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), De La Salle University (DLSU), and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) signed a landmark memorandum of understanding in Geneva, Switzerland, to develop what was to be billed as Asia’s first Master’s Program on Intellectual Property Management and Innovation (MIPMI).

This postgraduate initiative was to be the first in the region and the first WIPO-supported degree of its kind, designed to produce highly skilled professionals capable of managing and commercializing IP assets in today’s innovation-driven economy.

The envisioned program sought to go beyond traditional IP law studies, blending law, business, science, and innovation management with applied learning delivered by local and international experts. It was structured to respond to a surge in IP filings and the growing demand for specialists who can advise on strategic IP protection and commercialization — skills crucial for both corporations and economies hungry to compete globally. Students were expected to gain multidisciplinary insights and networking opportunities with IP practitioners, academics, and industry leaders.

The initiative was hailed as a milestone for the ASEAN region. When I was Director General for IPOPHL back then, I emphasized the need for trained IP professionals amid increasing innovation activity. Meanwhile, WIPO Director General Daren Tang underscored the importance of broadening IP education beyond lawyers to a wider community of innovators and entrepreneurs.

Despite this promising start — and the listing of the MIPMI in the WIPO Academy’s 2024 portfolio, complete with course outlines, curriculum plans, and scholarship opportunities — there appears to be no visible progress toward implementation.

According to WIPO’s official program catalogue, the joint degree was still presented as “to be announced,” with registration and start dates not yet finalized.

This raises important questions: What has happened to the pioneering program first announced in 2022. Why, four years after the MoU and with the demand for IP expertise higher than ever, has there been no launch announcement, no call for applicants, and no public indication that the curriculum is ready to roll out? Why has the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) not given DLSU the approval to go ahead with the MIPMI?

Whatever the reasons, the delay is unfortunate for aspiring IP professionals in the Philippines and the region who were counting on this pioneering program as a pathway to advanced expertise in innovation management. Worse, it has put the Philippines in a bad light with international partners like WIPO.

For a commitment that promised to put the Philippines at the forefront of IP education in Asia, answers and immediate action will help maintain confidence in the vision and ensure that the region’s innovation ecosystem gets the professional talent it urgently needs.

There is no reason for further delay. DLSU’s MIPMI was conceived to answer a real and urgent need. It has waited long enough. I hope CHEd Chair Shirley Agrupis will give MIPMI the green light it urgently needs within the year.