The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
AFRICA should strive to become an Intellectual Property (IP) superpower that creates knowledge, authorities in the higher education sector have said.
IP assets are important tools for social, economic, and technological development.
Through the promotion of IP rights and provisions of competent IP policies, Africa can achieve its goal of promoting economic growth and development.
The continent boosts of a great tradition of innovation and creativity, but fully monetising it has always been a challenge.
Now, experts have said African economies must seek to add value to their innovative and creative resources through the IP system.
Africa should be on the cusp of something new and exciting by embracing the opportunities afforded by the knowledge economy and the digital revolution to reduce poverty, enhance agricultural productivity, and boost industrial competitiveness in its drive to secure sustainable and inclusive development.
If properly harnessed, innovations in technology and designs for tangible and intangible assets can create incentives for Africans to invent continuously.
Innovation, creativity and IP promises to spur economic growth, trade and employment in African countries by making sure that entrepreneurs recover costs of their innovative expenses.
In an effort to ensure that Africa is equipped with the knowledge that is necessary for its people to create, exploit and commercialise IP, Africa University (AU) is offering a Masters’ Degree in Intellectual Property (MIP) — which is jointly organised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO), with financial support from the Government of Japan.
On Monday, the university hosted the official ceremony of the 15th edition of the MIP programme.
Japan has continued to provide scholarships and experts to teach in the MIP programme, thereby contributing to the development of Africa’s human capital.
The programme has students drawn from 14 African countries, with Japan providing 12 scholarships, WIPO (10) and Aripo (5).
The programme already has alumni hovering above 300 and is designed for those who wish to sharpen their IP management acumen and acquire appropriate knowledge and skills in the management of IP systems.
AU Vice Chancellor, Professor Peter Mageto said the launch was aligned to this year’s IP Day theme — IP and Youth Innovating for a Better Future — and implored students to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills.
“Africa needs you to be innovative in providing sustainable home-grown solutions to the challenges that we face. The digital age began around the 1970s and it brought with it diverse inventions and innovations.
“However, the WIPO published Global Innovation Index 2021 (GII2021) indicates that there is no African country ranked among the top 50 innovative economies in the world,” he said.
Prof Mageto said Africa needs effective IP regimes supported by a strong talent base to accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and boost its trading position in an innovation-driven cyber-physical world.
“Therefore, I can safely ask you and the teaching staff three questions — as a continent, can we go beyond the digital age? Have we envisioned a future that ethically relies on algorithms? How will we deal with the novel difficulties posed by emerging technologies on IP rights and enforcements in Web 3.0?
“I would like to share with you how this programme connects to real world economic events — in June this year the World Trade Organisation agreed on a waiver deal for patents for the manufacturing of Covid-19 vaccines for developing countries.
“I was following the deliberations and negotiations by South Africa and India for the rights to manufacture vaccines and treatments with interest.
“The lesson learnt from the protracted negotiations is that the MIP should not merely be an accumulation of knowledge. The knowledge gained should help shape your next moves in preparing and preventing future pandemics”.
WIPO counsellor, Ms Martha Chikowore said the focus of academic research should be primarily on making new discoveries in the field of specialisation and knowledge dissemination.
“Your research papers should be focused on new developments and geared more towards solving specific problems at your business, national or global levels,” she said.
Ms Chikowore said there has been a tremendous increase in IP — patents, trademarks, industrial designs and GIS applications in recent years, which reflects the growing importance of IP, innovation and new technologies in the global economy.
“This programme will equip you with the knowledge and skills that you need to infuse your life with action. IP knowledge is very vital in life’s transformation and transition.
“Strategic use of IP can give businesses several years of success and competitive advantage. Therefore, it is up to you to make the best of it. You own the future and should contribute to your country’s economic growth and the welfare of your communities,” said Ms Chikowore.
WIPO, she said, will continue to play its part to impart knowledge and skills in order to create, invent, innovate, research and publish.
WIPO is striving to support start-ups to ride the wave of economic recovery post Covid-19 through a wide array of targeted projects and tools.
“One of the objectives is to enhance regional mechanisms to promote asset creation and commercialisation, including the development of supporting schemes for SMEs,” she said.
WIPO and Harvard Law School have also inked a Memorandum of Agreement to offer joint courses on Patent Law and Global Public Health in all WIPO joint Masters programmes, including one at AU, for free.
WIPO Academy has also established the WIPO International Network for Intellectual Property Education (WINIPE) with the aim of enhancing IP teaching and research in all its joint Masters Programmes.
ARIPO director-general, Mr Bemanya Twebaze said IP programmes will go a long way in contributing towards sustainable economic development.
“In a world where economies are knowledge-based, it has become apparent that tangible assets alone are not enough to propel national economies forward. An important ingredient in economic development is hinged on IP and its management.
“Africa, therefore, requires enhanced knowledge of IP and its deliverables to ensure that the continent draws maximum benefit from its own innovation and creative capacity. This can largely be achieved through the development of human capital which has become an essential component for national economic development,” he said.
Mr Twebaze challenged MIP graduates to remain relevant to the IP development process in their respective countries.
“We expect you to play an active role in IP related activities such as the development of national or institutional IP policies, carrying out national or institutional IP audits, review of IP laws, as well as undertaking IP awareness programs, among other activities”.
