By Eriah Lule
Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB) held an intellectual property sensitization workshop for Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) Directorate of Research, Innovations, and Partnerships.
The workshop was to sensitize the directorate about the Technology Support Center (TSC). A program of the World Intellectual Property Organization in collaboration with the URSB targets institutions of higher learning to improve the quality of researchIntellectual property rights look at protecting the rights given to individuals over the creations of their minds.
This program provides access to high-quality documents and other technological information that is obtained from journals and will pique their interest in patent documents.
Eng. James Tony Lubwama, the Manager of Patent and Industrial Designs at URSB, confirms that the program helps universities access refined information, which eases the process of this research.
He further noted that they are planning to start having specialized trainings for the various researchers on school levels in the university based on their different specializations.
“This kind of training will even involve top management to inform them how best they can champion intellectual property in the institution”, he said.
Dr. Angela Napakol from the Directorate highlighted the lack of knowledge about intellectual property among many scholars and inventors at the university level.
Many staff and students have worked on projects that have been shelved or even let to circulate in the public without earning something from their efforts.
She added that with this kind of engagement with the URSB, UCU is going to benefit from its intellectual property.
“We didn’t know how to earn from our projects and publications, but now that we have the URSB to help us, we hope for the best”, she said.
Kisenyi Vincent, the Dean of the School of Business, applauded the Directorate’s move to partner with URSB on areas that scholars lack efficient knowledge about.
He noted that many of the students have created and innovated, and the staff as well have researched and published, but few have earned something from their efforts once it is released.
“With this kind of engagement, I assure you that many of our staff and students are going to earn something from their work”, he said “and I am very convinced that this is a good channel for self-motivation and hard work because someone is convinced they are earning from their work”.
He highlighted the fact that the administration should draft a work plan for implementing intellectual property.