In response to a large backlog of patent applications, and increased volume in patent applications each year as a result of Pakistan's new recognition of pharmaceutical product patents, Pakistan's Patent Office has hired 12 new examiners. These examiners, though junior, are computer capable and have educational backgrounds in areas including pharmaceuticals, general chemistry, and electrical engineering. CLDP facilitated the involvement of 4 of these new patent examiners in the USPTO's Global Intellectual Property Academy in October of 2005, in order to familiarize these new examiners with international IP administration standards and best practices.