Program Description
The Pan-European Seal is a Professional IP Traineeship Programme that covers many academic areas, including law. It is promoted in partnership by two of the world's largest Intellectual Property offices, the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante, Spain, and the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich, Germany, together with their strategic University partners. The Center for the Law of Innovation and Competition (CLIC) is one of these partners and manages the program at the University of Bern.
The Pan-European Seal provides opportunities for recent graduates of the University of Bern to complete a 12-month paid traineeship at the EUIPO or the EPO, helping them get a foot in the door of the competitive world of IP through valuable on-the-job multicultural professional work experience.
Training will take place at the EUIPO or at the EPO, with a monthly training allowance, as well as other benefits. Trainees will also benefit from on-the-job coaching by staff, as well as online training and, if applicable, language courses.
How to Apply
The application process is limited to University of Bern students or recent University of Bern graduates who are shortlisted by the CLIC for consideration by the EPO or the EUIPO. Successful applicants will be offered a 12-month traineeship either at the EPO or at the EUIPO. The contractual relationship is between the selected candidate and the EUIPO or the EPO.
Typically, interested students or recent graduates apply to CLIC in February for a traineeship that starts in the fall of the same year. The decisions by the EPO and the EUIPO will usually be made in May. It is not possible to apply for both the EPO and the EUIPO. Current students are normally in their last semester of their Master's studies when they apply for a traineeship, because they must have obtained their degree by the time they start their traineeships. Recent graduates may apply provided that they did not graduate more than one year (EUIPO) or two years (EPO) prior to applying for the traineeship.
A successful application requires the candidate to have completed selected online training courses offered and specified by the EPO and the EUIPO. For details, please contact the CLIC. The online training portals of the EUIPO and the EPO can be found here:
In addition, the EUIPO and the EPO offer the following IP Teaching Kits:
Interested?
If you are interested in the Pan-Europeal Seal Traineeship Programme, please contact the CLIC for more details.
Additional information on the program in general can also be found on the websites of the EUIPO and the EPO:
