Categories: Unofficial Gazette
      Date: Jan 24, 2002
     Title: Visiting Scholars Program

In June 2001 the PTOS once again participated in the USPTO visiting scholars program. The Visiting Scholars Program (VSP) for government Intellectual Property (IP) is an annual or semi-annual event sponsored by the Office of Legislative and International Affairs (OLIA) and AIPLA. The VSP is a 2-week educational program offered by the USPTO for the benefit of countries developing their IP systems. Since 1985, the VSP has provided participants from over 30 foreign countries with classroom and hands-on study of the United States’ intellectual property system. The scholars attend sessions on Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights.

To help the scholars feel comfortable while here, the PTOS International Relations Committee (IRC) organizes a “Mentor/Sponsor” program in which USPTO employees are paired with visiting scholars to assist them by answering questions they might have about the USPTO or about the surrounding DC metropolitan area. We like to have the mentors/sponsors attend a lunch reception, a panel discussion, a Capitol Hill briefing, the PTOS picnic, and any other USPTO events that might occur while the scholars are here. We want to make it a fun experience for both scholars and mentors/sponsors.

This year the IRC coordinated social and other activities for the scholars to allow them to interact with their U.S. counterparts. The first “social” event coordinated by the PTOS IRC was a luncheon held at Ruth's Chris Steak House on the first day of instruction. This year the speakers for the luncheon included Stephen Kunin and Anne Chasser. Other events included a Pot Luck dinner, a Pumpkin Carving contest, a trip to the Kennedy Center, and PTOS Members Night sponsored by the PTOS Social Committee.

The mentor program has been very successful. The IRC plans on continuing to support and host the Visiting Scholars Program for many years to come.