Registrar General, Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho, ARIPO Capacity Buliding Officer Dr. Byson Sibola and Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe during the engagement.
In a ground-breaking initiative to revolutionise education across Africa, leaders from the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) and the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) have joined forces with Makerere University to champion the integration of intellectual property (IP) education in academic curricula.
The call for action came during a 3-day seminar themed “Fostering Creativity and Innovation for Economic Growth and Development in Africa,” which brought together academia, researchers, innovators, and policymakers to explore intellectual property’s role in advancing Africa’s development agenda.
URSB’s Registrar General, Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho, emphasised Makerere University’s crucial role in this educational transformation.
“As a leading university, Makerere must be a starting point. You have the support to protect the invaluable knowledge generated here,” she stated, advocating for specialised IP courses that leverage the university’s strong legal framework and policies.
“We need to position IP in academia, focusing on ownership, utilisation, protection, and commercialisation,” Ms. Kainobwisho added, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to intellectual property education.
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Makerere’s Vice Chancellor, reinforced this vision, stating: “We must equip our learners with the tools to navigate the complexities of intellectual property.” He acknowledged the university’s unique position to lead this educational shift across the continent.
Dr. Byson C. Sabola from ARIPO delivered compelling insights on effective IP management, emphasising that understanding intellectual property is essential for transforming innovative ideas into marketable products.
“Imagine the impact if every student could recognise and protect their innovations!” he remarked.
The seminar featured comprehensive discussions on ARIPO’s role in academic institutions, national IP registration systems, technology transfer mechanisms, and pathways for acquiring IP rights.
Dr. Makhosazana P. Gamedze, an ARIPO patent examiner, led key presentations on legal frameworks and strategies for protecting university-generated intellectual property.
The initiative aims to mainstream IP education across academic curricula and support students in identifying the commercial value of their research. URSB and ARIPO have committed to continuing this awareness series, working to build institutional capacity throughout Uganda and Africa to harness intellectual property for sustainable development and economic transformation.
