EUIPO and UANIPIO Welcome Participation of Three Ukrainian Universities in Pan-European Seal Programme

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with three leading Ukrainian universities, officially integrating them into the Pan-European Seal (PES) programme. This joint milestone was possible thanks to support from the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations (UANIPIO), which actively promotes international opportunities for Ukrainian students and professionals, ensuring that future intellectual property (IP) experts benefit from EU and global best practices and advanced training.

This initiative strengthens IP education and career opportunities for Ukrainian students and recent graduates through cooperation between the EUIPO and the participating universities. The PES programme is an EUIPO-led initiative that connects universities with professional IP training and career pathways at the EUIPO, fostering a new generation of IP experts across Europe and beyond.

By joining the PES programme, which has been running for 11 years, the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, National Technical University of Ukraine ‘Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute’ and Ukrainian Catholic University are now part of the Network of IP Academies. This is a network of over 160 universities across Europe and beyond that work with the EUIPO to promote IP excellence and professional development.

One of the main pillars of the PES programme is a one-year paid traineeship that provides recent graduates from partner universities with an opportunity to work at the EUIPO in Alicante, Spain, across different departments of the EUIPO, depending on their educational background. All trainees receive structured training in different areas to be fully integrated into the EUIPO and gain first-hand experience in the global IP system.

From now on, graduate students from these Ukrainian universities will have the opportunity to enhance their professional skills while contributing to Ukraine’s IP landscape as the country continues to align its IP framework with EU standards.

The EUIPO, which has managed the PES programme together with the European Patent Office for over a decade, plays a pivotal role in promoting IP awareness and education among students, universities and trainees, while fostering a deeper understanding of the IP system among the next generation of professionals. Through its diverse academic initiatives, the EUIPO’s Academy facilitates knowledge-sharing, skills development and capacity-building among students, universities and trainees.

This collaboration underscores the shared commitment of the EUIPO and UANIPIO to developing a strong IP culture in the EU and Ukraine, supporting the next generation of IP professionals.