April 1, 2021
Start of Introduction of Intellectual Property Education at Educational Institutions

MIYOSHI & MIYOSHI
Vice Chairman: Shunichi Takahashi

In order to make intellectual property known and understood as early as possible, theJapan Patent Office, the Japan Patent Attorneys Association and other organizations related tointellectual property visit educational institutions from elementary schools to high schools andgive various lectures on intellectual property.

However, the lectures are given at the request ofschools that are interested in intellectual property for some reason and are given on an irregularbasis. In addition, the actual number of lectures is not large.
Under such circumstances, "intellectual property creation education" was incorporated
in the revision of government teaching guidelines in 2017.

Behind this is the need to develop

human resources capable of responding to the change from a mono-centered society ("mono"refers to objects and products) in the 20th century accompanied by technological innovations suchas artificial intelligence to a "koto-centered" society ("koto" refers to values and stories) in the21st century.

Specifically, it is said that the following skills are required: (1) the ability to thinkin ways that only humans can, (2) the ability to communicate and provide empathy and experience,(3) the ability to seek and recognize multiple solutions, and (4) the ability to design value creation
mechanisms.

The idea is to draw out such abilities through "intellectual property creation

education". Since April last year, implementation of the revised government teaching guidelines
has been starting at elementary schools. Junior high schools and high schools are scheduled tostart one after another this year.
"Intellectual property creation education" aims to foster an understanding of "creatingnew things" and "respecting what has been created" while enjoying these aspects. Accordingly,
it is not a form of education to directly teach intellectual property laws such as patent law andcopyright law.

In addition, it is not additionally introduced as a new curriculum, but rather as away for teachers to be aware of the need to "create new things" in teaching current subjects.
The government teaching guidelines set forth three pillars as basic qualities and abilities
to be developed: (1) acquisition of knowledge and skills that enable students to live and work; (2)development of the ability to think, judge, and express oneself in unknown situations, and (3)cultivation of a capacity and human nature toward learning that make use of learning in life andsociety.

In "intellectual property creation education", developing thinking, judgment, andexpression skills for creating new things through "creating new things" leads to number (2) of theabove pillars.

In addition, learning the rules of intellectual property through "respecting what

has been created" leads to number (1) of the above pillars.

Meanwhile, through "creating newthings" and "respecting what has been created", fostering an attitude of respect for what has beencreated as well as fostering an attitude to create new things leads to number (3) of the above pillars.
It is expected that clarifying the position and the direction of "intellectual property
creation education" in school education will greatly deepen the relationship between schools andorganizations related to intellectual property, thereby further promoting awareness of intellectualproperty.
This article is based on my column which appeared in the September 1, 2020 issue of
Keizai Sangyo Shinpo, and has been revised and edited.
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