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IP Researchers Europe conference (IPRE) 2026

Geneva
18 - 19 June 2026

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CALL FOR APPLICATIONS  


The School of Law of the University of Geneva (UNIGE) is pleased to announce the Call for Applications for the IP Researchers Europe Conference (IPRE) 2026, which will be held in Geneva on June 18-19, 2026, as an in-person event.

As in previous editions, IPRE 2026 will be organized in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Conference will take place at WIPO on Thursday, June 18, 2026, and at WTO on Friday, June 19, 2026.

Established in 2018, IPRE is a collaborative effort between UNIGE, WIPO, and WTO to convene IP scholars in Geneva, a city privileged for its position as an international forum for policy debates about current and future IP laws and policies. Since then, the Conference has brought together academic researchers from Europe and beyond to discuss their works-in-progress with other colleagues and policymakers.

As in the past editions, IPRE 2026 seeks to feature primarily European-focused or European-based IP researchers. However, all researchers writing on topics dealing with IP law-related issues relevant to European law, comparative law, or international law are welcome to apply to present at the Conference.

IPRE 2026 will again be linked to the WIPO-UNIGE Intellectual Property Summer School (IPSS). The objective of the interactions between the two programs is to allow the participants of IPSS to join the IPRE sessions, promoting mutually stimulating interactions, and capitalizing on the joint presence in Geneva of the participants of these programs to promote a Geneva-connected global IP community.

 

SUBMISSIONS AND DEADLINE

Academic researchers who are interested in presenting at IPRE 2026 should submit their application by completing the Online Submission to Present Form.

The Organizers welcome submissions by researchers at any stage of their careers. This includes professors, associate professors, assistant professors, lecturers, academic fellows, post-doctoral fellows, and doctoral candidates enrolled in a Ph.D. program or equivalent doctoral degree.

Applicants must be affiliated with an academic institution or research center. Applications from students, including LL.M. and master’s students, will not be accepted as the Conference is reserved for academics.

* Note that only one submission per author is allowed. This includes joint-authored submissions (a joint-authored submission will count as "one submission" for each author). We regret having to limit the number of submissions, but this is necessary to give more applicants a chance to present at the Conference.

The deadline to apply to present at the IPRE 2026 is Monday, March 16, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, which will not be extended.

The Organizers will notify accepted applicants by Thursday, April 2, 2026.

Accepted applicants must confirm their participation in the Conference by Monday, April 13, 2026.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

The First Day of IPRE 2026 will be Thursday, June 18, 2026. The Conference will start at 9 a.m. and end at 6.00 p.m. On the First Day, the Conference will be held at WIPO.

The Second Day of IPRE 2026 will be Friday, June 19, 2026. The Conference will again start at 9 a.m. and end at 5.00 p.m. On the Second Day, the Conference will take place at WTO.

Please note that IPRE 2026 will be an in-person-only Conference.

The Organizers plan (subject to further indications depending on the number of presenters/format of the event) that each presenter will have approximately 25-30 minutes for the presentation and comments/questions from the audience. Presenters should plan to reserve sufficient time for comments/questions.

All presenters are strongly encouraged to attend the entire Conference (i.e., Thursday and Friday).

NON-PRESENTING ATTENDEES

The Organizers can accept a limited number of non-presenting attendees to attend the Conference based on the final number of presenters.

Email your request to attend the Conference as a non-presenting attendee to ipresearcherseurope(at)gmail.com

COSTS AND REGISTRATION

There are no costs or registration fees to participate in IPRE 2026.

However, participants are responsible for covering their travel-related and accommodation expenses as well as obtaining and covering the costs related to their visa(s) and any other necessary travel documents.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For any queries, email us at ipresearcherseurope(at)gmail.com