Copyright and Digitization Economics Fellowship

Grade: N/A

Organizational unit: Creative Economy Section, Department on Economics and Data Analytics, IP and Innovation Ecosystem Sector

Vacancy reference: 26268-FEL

Appointment type: Fellowship

Application deadline: 18-Sep-2026, 9:59:00 PM

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE: please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.

1. Organizational context

(a)  Organizational Setting

Fellowships aim to provide fellows with experience to strengthen their knowledge and professional competence, which they can apply in their professional field once they have completed their fellowship with WIPO. Fellowships are awarded for specific activities, which provide the fellows training, within the approved workplan of the employing office.

The Fellowship is located in the Creative Economy Section of the Department for Economics and Data Analytics (DEDA). The section provides original economic research on intellectual property in particular copyright and wants to stimulate thinking on how the legal framework can best serve the creative industries and our member states.

The Fellow will contribute to the research agenda under the Head of Section and the supervision of the organization’s Chief Economist. The research fellow will develop innovative, state-of-the-art economic analysis on the role of laws and the impact of digitization in creative sectors. Sectors include audiovisual, visual arts, book publishing, performance art, video gaming, music and beyond.

(b)  Reporting Lines

The Fellow will work under the supervision of the Head of Section and Chief Economist of the Department of Economics and Data Analytics and will collaborate with colleagues across WIPO sectors, as well as engage with local and global industry stakeholders in creative sectors, benefit from our close ties with external academic and policy networks, and liaise with data providers in the industry.

2. Duties and responsibilities

The Fellow will be required to conduct quantitative research on advanced economic topics in this area and perform the following duties:

a)    Help develop novel data sources, engage with private data providers and define data requirements for research projects.

b)    Collect, clean, organize, interpret and visualize large datasets from structured and unstructured sources.

c)     Contribute to the identification and formulation of research questions and conduct rigorous empirical research on topics of mutual interest and in support of WIPO’s analytical work and research agenda in the creative industries.

d)    Design and implement advanced empirical research, including causal inference and policy evaluation methods, as appropriate.

e)    Prepare research outputs, including working papers, policy brief and academic publications, and contribute to disseminating findings to academic, policy and industry audiences.

f)      Develop research and author up to two state-of-the-art economic studies per year on the creative economy, intellectual property and related issues.

g)    Prepare for and participate in relevant WIPO meetings, workshops, seminars and academic conferences, as required.

3. Requirements

 a)       Education:

Essential:

Advanced-level university degree (Master's or equivalent) in economics, management, econometrics, data science, quantitative methods, law and economics, or related discipline.

Desirable:

PhD candidate or PhD in economics, management, econometrics, data science, quantitative methods, law and economics, or related discipline.

Specialization in the economics of innovation and creativity, the economics of digitization, or the economics of IP/copyright/media industries would be an advantage.

 b)       Experience:

Essential:

Have a proven track record of conducting state-of-the-art economic research or related field;

Have experience with setting up advanced research designs for empirical analysis and/or policy evaluation;

Have experience with handling data and managing large and complex datasets.

Desirable:

Have experience in developing novel datasets from administrative, commercial, web-based or other non-traditional sources using web scraping/crawling, APIs, natural language processing or other methods;

Publications or working papers in economics or related fields, targeting peer-reviewed academic journals;

Be curious about questions & design of public policy, as well as data visualization techniques and science communication.

         c)       Languages:

               Essential: Excellent knowledge of English (written and spoken).

     Desirable: Knowledge of any other official UN languages may be an advantage. 

d)       Specific skills and competencies:

Essential:

Excellent coding and quantitative skills, with proficiency in one or more languages, including Stata, Python and/or R.

Ability to work independently on research projects while contributing effectively to collaborative, multidisciplinary teams.

Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Desirable:

Experience in machine learning, artificial intelligence and other computational methods supporting economic research.

Academic and policy writing skills, with the ability to communicate complex economic analysis clearly to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

4. Organizational competencies

1. Communicating effectively.

2. Showing team spirit.

3. Demonstrating integrity.

4. Valuing diversity.

5. Producing results.

6. Showing service orientation.

7. Seeing the big picture.

8. Seeking change and innovation.

9. Developing yourself and others.

5. Terms and conditions

a)    Term of fellowship: A fellowship may be granted for a period of up to 12 months, with the possibility of extension one or more times, provided the maximum cumulative length does not exceed three years.

b)    Anticipated Start Date: November 2, 2026.

c)     Location: WIPO Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland.

d)    Stipend: is set in accordance with the level of qualifications and experience of the Fellow (stipend starts from monthly 3,300 Swiss francs up to a maximum 7,000 Swiss francs).

e)    Travel expenses: WIPO shall contribute towards the cost of the fellow’s travel on engagement and separation from service. If necessary, WIPO may provide assistance in obtaining an entry visa to Switzerland.

f)     WIPO contributes towards the medical insurance and provides accident insurance coverage during the course of the fellowship.

g)    WIPO will request a “carte de légitimation” for the Fellow, which serves as a residence and work permit, from the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and to the other international organizations in Geneva. Family members of the Fellow are not eligible for a “carte de legitimation.”

h)    Tax and social security: Fellows shall be solely responsible for meeting any taxation and social security obligations that may arise directly or indirectly from their contract with WIPO. 

Additional information

WIPO values diversity among its personnel and is committed to equal employment opportunities. We welcome applications from qualified candidates from unrepresented Member States of WIPO, and from underrepresented geographical regions and groups, including people with disabilities. If candidates need any accommodation to participate in the recruitment process, they should contact their HR focal point when they receive an invitation.

Fellows are not staff members of WIPO, and the position does not lead to any employment rights and entitlements beyond the terms of the fellowship.

The Fellowship will take place in Geneva, Switzerland and it cannot be carried out remotely.

By completing an application, candidates understand that any willful misrepresentation made on this web site, or on any other documents submitted to WIPO during the application, may result in disqualification from the recruitment process, or termination of employment with WIPO at a later date, if that employment resulted from such willful misrepresentations.

In the event that your candidature is shortlisted, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of an identification and of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WIPO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and these will be reviewed individually.

Additional testing/interviewing may be used as a form of screening. Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory professional references.