From D&I Working Group to DEI Committee – To Inclusivity and Beyond
Nina Ferara (GB)
In September 2021, the epi Board established a Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Working Group to promote the values of diversity and inclusion within the epi community (https://patentepi.org/en/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-and-inclusion-epi.html). Over the past four years, the group has actively worked to embed these principles into the fabric of our profession.
A Commitment to Diversity
In 2022, the epi Council adopted a D&I policy (https://patentepi.org/en/diversity-and-inclusion/di-policy.html), which highlights our profession’s and its members’ commitment to those values.
The D&I WG published several articles (see issues 1/22, 3/23, and 1/24), presented at the epi conference celebrating “50 years of EPC and 44 years of EQE” in 2023. A large part of its work focused on the EQE and qualification-related topics. The post-EQE survey was amended in 2023 to include a series of questions related to reasonable adjustments as proposed by the D&I WG (and these questions have been included in the survey in subsequent years). The WG also worked on changing the wording of Rule 17 IPREE (this work is apparently unfortunately stalled for reasons we fail to understand). A series of case studies was also prepared by the D&I WG (https://patentepi.org/en/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-and-inclusion-epi.html). Members of the WG have participated in podcasts, joined conferences, seminars, and events, as well as national groups working on DEI topics. Additionally, all of us actively engaged with other epi committees on DEI topics.
Towards a Permanent Structure
For the past two years, the D&I WG has been working toward establishing a permanent committee. One disadvantage of being a Working Group is that it needed regular, active confirmation by the epi Council that its work should be continued. A committee would instead be a permanent instrument for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion within epi. We welcome the fact that at its most recent meeting (in May this year) the epi Council established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee.
Get Involved
Elections to the DEI Committee will take place at the next Council meeting in November this year, and this is a call to action:
All epi members who are passionate about DEI are encouraged to:
- Nominate themselves as candidates; and/or
- Reach out after the elections to join as associate members
The strength of the D&I Working Group lay in the diversity of its members, and we hope to carry that spirit forward into the new Committee.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to get involved in DEI—this is it!
