Qualification Enhancement in Intellectual Property for the Teaching Staff of Institutions of Higher Education

Abstract

The paper substantiates the need and importance of cultivation of a competence in intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in the teaching staff in higher education during their qualification enhancement (QE) as a condition for their further development and provision of quality higher education in Ukraine. The survey was conducted under the state-funded R&D topic to evaluate the attitude to intellectual property among the teaching staff of institutions of higher education (IHE). It looks into the factors and mechanisms of IPR protection and inclusion in the QE programmes for the IHE teaching staff. Knowledge in IPR protection encourages creation of a favourable environment for intellectual activity development, where an important role in its dissemination belongs to the teaching staff. The findings reveal that acquisition of such knowledge and skills is currently not commonly included in the corresponding QE programmes, while the number of those interested in them is significant. Another red flag in this regard is overbureaucratization of the process and the working overload of the teaching staff. Therefore, changes are in order in the QE programmes to include the relevant portion of knowledge and training in IPR, their exercise, protection, and commercialization.