KIU Main Campus-Kampala International University (KIU) through the Directorate of Research Innovation Consultancy and Extension (DRICE) in partnership with Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), organized a workshop on Intellectual Property (IP) on Monday 5th June 2023

The workshop covered several topics including a review of URSB Services (IP management), an introduction to Technology and Innovation Support Centre (TISC) program of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and a practical session on Information search in Patent Databases.

The team from Uganda Registration Services Bureau comprised of Mr. James Tonny Lubwama Manager of Patent and Industrial Design, Mr. Lutaaya Andrew, the Public Relations Officer at URSB, Mr. Lumu Bob Rogers the Assistant Registrar- Patent, and Mr. Abraham Onyat the Senior Officer, Search and Examination.

The Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mouhammad Mpezamihigo in his message delivered by Dr. Sophia Kazibwe the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in Charge of Academic Affairs, applauded the team from URSB for considering KIU for such workshops.

“I encourage all our staff to adhere to ethics and also explore other forms of IP beyond publications,” Prof. Mouhammad Said.

He also urged the KIU community to carry out a multidisciplinary search in order to achieve more.

Dr. Hashim Ibrahim, the Director of Research, Innovation, consultancy, and Extension said students and lecturers at KIU will build on the knowledge attained from the workshop to ensure their future innovations, ideas, and research are not stolen away.

“Members of the KIU academic community now know how to protect their ideas. They now know what to do to be sure that no one gets to steal their ideas,” he said.

“They can be reassured that nobody will steal their idea and are able to translate their research output into industry input so that industry people and uptake the idea with a commission or some form of payment in return without the feeling of their idea being stolen away,” he added.

Dr. Hashim added that the knowledge from the workshop will build confidence amongst students and lecturers who had lost interest in publishing, fearing their ideas and innovations would be stolen away.

James Tonny Lubwama praised KIU’S commitment to supporting innovation for both students and lecturers

“As far as I have moved amongst all universities in this country, KIU has the biggest space dedicated to innovation, I am impressed,’’ Lubwama said.

The workshop was attended by among others Dr. Hashim Ibrahim Bisallah, the Director, of Research, Innovation, consultancy and Extension (DRICE), Dr. J E Ashibi, Deputy principal of, college 0f Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr.Umar Yahya, from the center of Excellence for Entrepreneurship and Extension (CoEEI), Enoch Otim, the Head of Department public and comparative law, Dr. Ademola Olatide Olaniyan the  Deputy Director Director of Research, Innovation, consultancy and Extension and The Director Higher Degrees and Research Prof. Israel O. Obaroh.

The Workshop concluded with an activity of enrolling KIU into the WIPO-TISC network, a step that will enable the KIU community to benefit from a number of WIPO programs.