USUST joins IP WEEK 2026 and hosts lecture on athletes’ personal branding

The Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies traditionally takes part in celebrating World Intellectual Property Day, celebrated on April 26 in the world. In connection with this date, the university organizes the ‘Intellectual Property Law Week at USUST’. This year, the event became part of the nationwide initiative Ukrainian Intellectual Property Week IP WEEK 2026.

 

The theme of this year’s initiative, defined by the World Intellectual Property Organization, is dedicated to sports – ‘IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate’. The Ukrainian interpretation of the theme  ‘IP and Sports: Create, Protect, Win’  emphasizes the full cycle of working with intellectual property, from idea generation to legal protection and commercial use.

 

On April 22, as part of IP WEEK 2026, USUST hosted a topic-focused online lecture delivered by IP Academy for the student community IP Connecting Students titled ‘The personal brand of an athlete’. The event was held as part the national-patriotic lecture series ‘Resilience of the Ukrainian Nation: History and Present’ and united students, academic advisors, and faculty members from the SEI  ‘PSAPCS’ and ‘USUCT’.

 

The meeting was moderated by Associate Professor Valentyna Babenko, acting head of the TISC at USUST, head of the Student Development  Department.

The keynote speaker was Olga Kulinich , head of the Intellectual Property Academy Department at the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations  національного офісу   (IP Office). In her presentation, she highlighted the role of intellectual property in the field of sports, explaining how sports brands are developed, how broadcasting rights function, and the importance of innovative technologies in the advancement of modern sports.

During the lecture, the participants learned that today, victory is determined not only by athletes’ physical abilities, but also by ideas, technologies, and brands created beyond the sports arena that directly influence performance. Intellectual property serves as the foundation of this ecosystem.

 

The Ukrainian Intellectual Property Week – IP WEEK 2026, organized by the Ukrainian National Office for Intellectual Property and Innovations under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, took place from April 20 to 26. Throughout the week, numerous educational events, lectures, and special projects were held across Ukraine, focusing on the interaction of sports and intellectual property.