According to the World Intellectual Property Organization:

In the knowledge-based society of the 21st Century, intellectual property (IP) comprises not only valuable economic assets of private firms, but also social and cultural assets of society. The impact of IP assets has become so crucial that it may have a great impact on our daily life and on the development and prosperity of the nation. The lack of awareness about IP and its importance in the past is understandable because IP was generally limited to legal and technical experts working in specialized arenas. However, times have changed; the information technology revolution, and the Internet in particular, have expanded the use and horizons of IP, the circle of users, as well as categories of beneficiaries of the IP system. The lack of awareness about IP makes it difficult for the people and many nations to leverage their knowledge, innovation and imagination for the purpose of enhancing their wealth, their rate of economic, cultural and social growth and development, and their quality of life.

Against this backdrop, the critical role of academic institutions, such as universities, public learning centers for economic and social studies, and specialized IP training, which have traditionally contributed to the education element of valuable human resources, as well as to the IP research capacity, over many years, now requires an in-depth review and a structured reinforcement.

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The area of IP education and IP research are relatively new to many academic institutions, particularly those located in developing countries. Emerging challenges in different countries require nationally focused and tailor-made solutions-one size, as usual, does not fit all. However, some challenges facing academia and research operations could be better addressed through international cooperation underpinned by coherent approaches and recognition of common challenges and opportunities. On-going efforts can be greatly enhanced, where appropriate, to strengthen and expand partnerships and strategic cooperation among academic institutions. The cooperation between academic institutions and the different stakeholders (e.g., private enterprise and government agencies) will also have to be developed and expanded, since there is a growing need for an interdisciplinary approach to IP education and IP research capacity. This collection provides a repository of interdisciplinary thought to facilitate discussion on IP education and IP research could be further developed and advanced. It is of particular interest to:

• Managers, administrators, advisors, professors of academic institutions.
• Policy makers responsible for national programs for assisting academic institutions in the area of IP education and IP research.
• Business managers of the private firm who are responsible for IP education of their staff members. IP professionals.
• Students and researchers who are studying IP or other fields relevant to knowledge assets.
• Representatives of national, regional and international organizations who are interested in assisting activities in the area of IP education and IP research.