CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Youth Workshop on Intellectual Property, Public Health and Access to Medicinesand Global Congress on Intellectual Property & the Public Interest

14 – 22 December 2015, New Delhi

Organized by

Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID), Peoples Health Movement (PHM) and Prayas

Venue: ISID Campus, 4, Institutional Area, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070

About the Workshop

To coincide with the 4^th Global Congress on Intellectual Property & the Public Interest being held in Delhi, Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID), Peoples Health Movement (PHM) and Prayas are conducting a four-day post-congress workshop on intellectual property, public health and access to medicines. Some of the broad themes of the workshop-cum-conference would include:
i) Introduction to Intellectual property rights and access to medicines
ii) WTO and TRIPS – evolution, consequences, legal aspects and reform proposals;
iii) Indian patent law and policy – history, 2005 amendments and recent developments;
iv) Patent Examination and Enforcement;
v)Trade Agreements, TRIPS-plus demands and Public Health;
vi) Challenging pharmaceutical patent monopolies: Role of Public Health and Public Interest Groups; and vii) Research and Development: Alternative Models.

Participants of the workshop-cum-conference will be selected based on their qualifications, experience and interest in the area of law, public health and innovation. The faculty for the workshop will include Indian and International experts in this area. Participants selected for the workshop will receive registration for the Global Congress on IP & the Public Interest and will be expected to attend all the days of the Global Congress prior to the workshop. Participants selected for the workshop will receive full funding for their participation in the Workshop and the Global Congress.

About the Global Congress on IP & the Public Interest (http://global-congress.org/)

The Global Congress on Intellectual Property & the Public Interest is the most significant event on the calendar for scholars and policy advocates working on intellectual property from a public interest perspective. The Global Congress began in Washington DC in 2011, moved to Rio de Janeiro in 2012, and was held in Cape Town in 2013. The fourth Global Congress will now be held in New Delhi, in December 2015. The event would be the largest convening of public interest-oriented intellectual property practitioners ever held in Asia, and would help link in the world’s most populous region to these global debates around how intellectual property policy can best serve the public interest. The Access to Medicines (A2M) track of the Fourth Global Congress on Intellectual Property & the Public Interest will bring scholars, activists, and practitioners together to focus on how law and policy can be reshaped to expand access to quality, affordable medicines and health technologies for all. The track is particularly interested this year in exploring four key themes (1) A2M & Human Rights: (2) Taking Stock of Current Policy Space; (3) Spotlight on Least Developed Countries; and (4) India’s Centrality in Access to Medicines.

Who should apply?

Researchers, activists, journalists, scholars, public health professionals and students who are 40 years of age or younger as of 1 December 2015 and are residents of India.

Language of the Workshop: Regrettably at this point we are only able to conduct the workshop in English. In coming years we hope to make this a multi-lingual endeavour but are unfortunately unable to do so at this stage. As the subject of the workshop is also technical, applicants must be proficient in reading, writing and speaking English.

Level of the Workshop: The Workshop is designed for persons with some familiarity of issues related to intellectual property, public health and access to medicines and would like to develop a deeper understanding of the legal, technical and health issues involved.

Application Process: Those wishing to participate in the workshop are required to fill theapplication form and submit it along with their C.V. on or before 26 October 2015.

Participants will receive

1. Travel and Accommodation from 14 December – 22 December 2015

2. Registration at the Global Congress on IP & the Public Interest

IMPORTANT DATES

Application Process Dates

Opening Date for Applications: 26 September 2015

Final Date of Submission of Applications: 26 October 2015

Confirmation of selected participants: 31 October 2015

Workshop and Global Congress Dates

Arrival in Delhi, Orientation and Assignments: 14 December 2015
Global Congress on IP & the Public Interest: 15 – 17 December 2015
Workshop on Intellectual Property and Public Health: 18 – 21 December 2015
Departure from Delhi: 22 December 2015

For questions/clarifications please write to: globalcongresswkshop2015@gmail.com

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ABOUT THE WORKSHOP ORGANISERS

Prayas is a non-governmental organization registered under ‘Societies Act 1860’ from Delhi Administration and has been working in many areas of rural poor’s economic and social development since the year 1979. The organization has a vision to work for removal of discrimination built on social, cultural, economic, religious, geographical and gender grounds. The activities range in the area of health promotion with focus on access to essential and life-saving medicines, basic education for girl children, livelihood security, rights of indigenous persons, migrants and unorganized sector workers.

Institute of Studies in Industrial Development (ISID) is a multi-faceted institution, under the Indian Council of Social Research (ICSSR) pioneering in different aspects of corporate sector, industrial policy and issues of trade, technology and development. Developing on the initial strength of studying India’s industrial regulations, ISID has gained varied expertise in the analysis of the issues thrown up by the changing policy environment. The Institute’s research and academic activities are organized under the following broad thematic areas: 1) Industrialization; 2) Corporate Sector; 3) Trade, Investment and Technology; 4) Regulatory Mechanisms; 5) Employment; 6) Public Health; 7) Media Studies; and 8) Other Issues.

People’s Health Movement (PHM) (www.phmovement.org): PHM is a global networkbringing together grassroots health activists, civil society organizations and academic institutions from around the world, particularly from low and middle income countries (L&MIC). With a presence in around 70 countries, PHM works on various programmes and activities and is committed to Comprehensive Primary Health Care and addressing the Social, Environmental and Economic Determinants of Health. The India chapter of the PHM (known as Jan Swasthya Abhiyan) is the most developed and largest country chapter. Access to Medicines is a major area of work for the PHM, especially of its India chapter. The PHM has extensive experience since 2005 of conducting short training courses on health activism for young activists through its virtual university – the International People’s Health University (IPHU – www.iphu.org).

Click here for the application form.