“Impact of the Human Resource Development Program for the Strategic Global Partnership Mexico-Japan, a brief personal perspective”
During 2010, when I was 36 years old and had more than 10 years of experience as patent examiner in the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), I participated in the call launched by the “Japan International Cooperation Agency” (JICA) and the National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt) for the “Human Resource Development Program for the Strategic Global Partnership Mexico-Japan”. Fortunately, I won, and I obtained a scholarship for a technique residence for a year in the Intellectual Property area, at the Osaka Institute of Technology. So, I traveled from Mexico to those far lands.
At this moment, my kids Abigail, Omar and Mariel, who by then were 11, 10 and 6 years old, respectively, accompanied me throughout the entire call process, witnessing and going through all the requirements I needed to comply, as well as my Vicky, who was always by my side, encouraging and supporting me before and during this challenge, as she still does.
To be honest, when I knew the results and knew that I was selected for the program, I was deeply satisfied, but then I started to felt a little nostalgic, as I would have to separate from my family during a year, and at that moment I really did not know what “a year” means.
The technical residence required a lot of effort and attitude, since although Japanese people are excellent hosts, their culture and customs are obviously totally different from ours. To avoid missing my family, friends and Mexican colleagues, I needed to be entertained all the time. Therefore, besides being very active in the Institute, I had to learn Japanese language to interact outside the Institute where I was under training. The following are some videos that show a little but important part of what I did in Japan, in its cultural, customs and educational environment.
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| Great Friends and Great Teachers from Osaka Institute of Technology |
Video 1: Living and Studying in Japan JICA Intellectual Property Rights. OSIC OSAKA
Video 2: OSAKA JAPON, Intellectual Property JICA
I had the pleasant experience of living together with many Mexican colleagues during the first months of the program, who came from different states of the Mexican Republic. They were very enthusiastic and talented young people, highly professional and worthy of representing Mexico abroad, my dear "Ex-kenshuines" friends.
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| Author: Bruno Abraham Lopez Berumen, Japan 2010. |
During the technical training, we visited various Japanese companies, which despite being SMEs they had a wide knowledge on Intellectual Property and highlighted the importance of training their personnel on these issues since the earliest phases of their career. This is how I decided that upon my return to Mexico, my “Action Plan” would be training Mexican creators since the earliest phases of their education, specifically, since High School Second Level of technical education.
This program had a huge impact on my professional and personal life, since it allowed me to know how a developed country values the protection of its creations through Intellectual Property, as well as to witness first-hand Japanese's discipline and civism values. Upon my return to Mexico I had to tropicalize the knowledge and experience I acquired to apply them in my country and contribute to society.
Due to the impact of this program in my professional and personal life, and due to different circumstances, little after I came back to Mexico, I decided to create my own Technological Management company focused on Intellectual Property protection. In consequence, during 2012, consultant TEKUGO® started with a key philosophy, this is, training Mexican creators during the earliest phases of their education. This was the best decision I could have made, since it had to be worthy leaving my family for a year to be able to provide them a better quality of life in all aspects, both regarding the values learned and the value of knowledge from a great country such as Japan.
Before participating in this program, I had already being able to be trained abroad. Nonetheless, this training has increased my professional reputation as advisor and consultant for technology companies, because, as those who know Japan are aware, their courses and training programs comply with the highest standards required in any part of the world, which provides TEKUGO® customers a lot of confidence.
I consider that all Mexico-Japan trainees have a commitment with Mexico. Therefore, we need to contribute our knowledge and apply it to national society, and being truth change agents to improve gradually our personal, family, social and national environment.
Based on my current experience, I firmly consider that it is necessary to update the study plans for different technical residences of the “Human Resource Development Program for the Strategic Global Partnership Mexico-Japan”, in relation to Mexico's needs and what we can learn from Japan to cover these needs upon our return from the training.
With the 50th anniversary celebration of this emblematic exchange program Mexico-Japan coordinated by the JICA and Conacyt, I invite all the people interested in participating in this program to be prepared and trained to face any challenge either as employees or businessmen.
Arturo Broca Nucamendi
