International IP talent program opens in Shenzhen with participants from 21 countries and regions

A weeklong program exploring intellectual property (IP) protection and innovation in China opened in Shenzhen on Monday, bringing together 44 participants from 21 countries and regions.

The 2026 Guangdong International IP Talent Program features lectures, discussions and industry visits, giving participants an opportunity to examine IP issues across different legal systems and learn about Guangdong’s innovation ecosystem.

Sponsored by the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation (Guangdong Intellectual Property Administration), with Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School and Peking University School of Transnational Law (International Intellectual Property Academy) as co-organizers, the program opened with remarks from Wang Tianbing, vice chancellor of Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, and Shang Ping, deputy director of the Guangdong Administration for Market Regulation. The ceremony was chaired by Mark Feldman, interim dean of Peking University School of Transnational Law.

Wang drew on the bridge motif in the program’s visual identity to highlight Guangdong’s role in connecting China with the global IP community. He also described the School of Transnational Law as a bridge between Chinese and US legal education, linking different legal traditions through international academic exchange.

Shang highlighted Guangdong’s innovation capacity and its expanding international cooperation in IP protection. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster ranked first among the world’s top 100 innovation clusters for the second consecutive year in 2025, reflecting the region’s prominence in global innovation.

The program also offers participants opportunities to exchange perspectives and establish professional connections. Chow Tsz Ching from Hong Kong said IP links innovation, investment, trade and global markets. Tuan Anh Pham from Vietnam said Shenzhen’s innovation capacity and dynamic IP environment had impressed him.

Academic sessions began on the opening day with a lecture by Danny Friedmann, a professor at Peking University School of Transnational Law, on copyright, trademark and patent protection for AI-generated content. Participants also received guidance on their final research assignments and visited the BYD History Museum to learn about the company’s development.

Running from Oct. 19 to 25, the program combines classroom learning, thematic discussions, industry visits and research projects, bringing international perspectives to the study of IP protection and innovation in the Greater Bay Area.