Currently, since the world has faced COVID-19 and the fourth industrial revolution, cutting-edge technologies, such as AI, Biochip, Gene therapy, Robot, Autonomous cars and so on are in the limelight. Therefore, numerous companies put efforts on launching innovative products and services based on these high technologies. In this environment, protecting intellectual property rights and initiatively creating and utilizing them are exceedingly important.

  The reason is that ‘Intellectual Property Right’ enables companies to obtain exclusive positions in the market through fierce competition. These IPRs are concretely defined as protection rights of literature, art and science works, directing, performance, albums and broadcasting of artists, inventions, scientific discoveries, industrial designs, registered trademarks, business names, and etc. It also includes all other rights arising from intellectual activities in the field of industry, science, literature, or art. All of the above is protected by WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization), a United Nations Organization which is in charge of conflicts about intellectual property rights.

  To keep in step with the era, Chungbuk National University founded CBNU Intellectual Property Specialized Training Business Center for training intellectual property specialized human resources and developing local innovative companies with the support from the Korean Intellectual Property Office and KIPA (Korea Invention Promotion Association) in May, 2021. The center is located in room 312 N14, Chungbuk National University’s Gaeshin Campus (Chung-daero 1 in Seowon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do).

  CBNU Intellectual Property Specialized Training Business Center aims to proceed a cooperative IP(Intelligent Property) sector education by establishing an integrated education system based on understanding of advanced industries and technologies such as bio health. It also includes knowledge of IP laws including IP management, IP big data, and IP finance in order to integrate the whole process, creation, protection, utilization of IP R&BD value with roots in the Chungbuk strategic industries.
  Through this, specialized IP R&BD curriculum required by national and industrial sites can be provided, and an organic connection system can be established between the university, companies, and institutions. The university targets to create a system where the university and industries can have a win-win relationship, grow together by producing customized intellectual property specialists in the local strategic industries, and hiring IP specialists in a timely manner. In response, CBNU IP Specialized Training Business Center announced its ambition to make Chungbuk National University the best cradle of IP R&BD education in Korea by providing fusion education on intellectual property-based technology development and technology commercialization to cope with the rapidly changing environment.

  The center offers a multiple-major-type bachelor’s degree course in intellectual property for undergraduate students as well as a master’s degree and doctor’s course in intellectual property. In addition we will offer a minor master’s and doctor’s course for students who are taking other master’s and doctorate degrees at Chungbuk National University. In addition, even if students do not major in intellectual property courses, the center plan to attract and operate short-term courses or patent-related forums that can be completed during vacation time.

  At Lim Dal-ho, a professor at the College of Business, who is also the center director of CBNU Intellectual Property Specialized Training Business Center, introduced the center in detail and looked into what he wanted to say to students interested in the IP fusion major, curriculum, scholarship system and main course.

1. First of all, what is IP and IP R&BD?
  IP is short for Intellectual Property. It means industrial property rights such as invention, trademarks, design, and rights related to literature, music, and art works, etc. Also, IP R&BD means the rights and commercialization of technology, etc. Existing companies needed R&D, which is developing technologies. Recently, a change of the management paradigm has led to the development of technology and watching technology itself as a business object.

2.There are various courses in the curriculum. What is the most important factor in Intellectual property specialist training process?
  The most important thing in the curriculum is to provide specialized training for the IP based technology development and technology commercialization (IP R&BD), because there are still not enough IP R&BD experts in Korea. Therefore, the center will establish and operate differentiated education systems which combine IP management, IP big data, and IP finance sectors to facilitate the understanding of high-tech industries and technologies and IP law. Through this, the most important goal is to provide a specialized IP R&BD curriculum required by national and industrial sites, and to establish connection system between the university, companies and institutions to customized specialists in the national strategic industry.

3. The CBT reporter can verify that there are various projects such as IP activities and education networks. Please share some informations about the programs in progress.
  IP education is operated as a fusion major (department) and postgraduate minor, and IP activities are various comparative programs such as competition, certificates and etc. IP network will begin in second semester of 2021, and it will host an industry-academic close-up program, such as working-level talk program and internships with companies in the Chung-buk area.

4. Please describe the necessary skills for students applying for undergraduate or master’s and doctorate courses.
  There are no specific skills that students need to have. However, I think students need an active mind to study this course because it’s a new field to the students who have studied other majors.

5. Are there any other programs for students who don’t participate in the IP fusion major?
  The center is also developing various comparative programs for students who don’t participate in the IP fusion major. During the summer vacation, the center has operated patent big data education (2021. 08.16 ~ 08.31), and we are now planning to hold IP seminars, a certificate acquisition process, and competitions to spread IP awareness and improve working level capabilities.

6. Can you tell us about the scholarship systems in IP major?
  There are four types of scholarships. Academic incentive scholarship, academic scholarship, active scholarship, and special scholarship. The academic incentives are given to students who complete IP majors and in the case of academic scholarship, the students with excellent academic performance will be selected. Next, the active scholarship is for students with excellent participation in comparative programs which are operated by the center. Finally, special scholarship will be awarded to students who have helped the center’s development or if they are chosen by the director of the center. All of these scholarships can be awarded to students who participate in the IP fusion major, but foreign students are unfortunately excluded from the scholarships.

7. The intellectual property specialist business has been carried out with national support for 5 years. Is there any plan to operate the center after the national support is completed?
  There will be no problem if the business is extended, otherwise the center has to raise its own funds to operate it. If lots of students want to participate in the major, the major will produce graduates, not minor majors.

8. Is there anything you want to tell students who will get to know about the course through this article?
  As we face the fourth industrial revolution, people are focusing on new technologies such as AI, big data, robots and self-driving cars. In this regard, it is very important to protect intellectual property rights in order to dominate the market with differentiated monopolies in various technologies. Because intellectual property rights can cause companies to secure exclusive status in the market, CBNU Intellectual property specialized training business center will provide intellectual property education courses (fusion major, graduate school, etc.) and various comparative programs (certificates, competitions, etc.) to help students maximize their individual competitiveness in a competitive environment.



  If any students who wonder about their capabilities and careers at the opening of the semester, it will be a great opportunity to find out the above process related to intellectual property rights that emerged in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. The students can find more information about the academic course from the website (https://cip.chungbuk.ac.kr/), or call 043)249-1655 to get information about the major and program, and for other administrative inquiries, call 043)249-1651 or send an e-mail to ip1@cbnu.ac.kr.

By Yang Jin-a l 2016020101@cbnu.ac.kr
By Choi Jin-hyeok l jh41@cbnu.ac.kr