EUIPO Experts Deliver Online Lectures to African Universities, Strengthening Intellectual Property Education

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in collaboration with Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa (AfrIPI) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) have recently conducted a series of lectures for students enrolled in the ARIPO 2023/2024 IP masters’ programmes. In collaboration with Africa University (AU) in Mutare, Zimbabwe, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana, and the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in Tanzania, this initiative aims to strengthen intellectual property education across Africa.

This past week AU and KNUST delivered a series of online lectures. The class at AU focused on geographical indications (GIs) with topics such as an introduction to GIs, agricultural GIs, craft GIs, and the relationship between GIs and trade marks. The lectures at KNUST concerned utilising intellectual property rights to boost business competitiveness. They covered innovation, the scope and risks of not having protection and the benefits of using IP.

These lectures provided by EUIPO experts play a role in disseminating knowledge and promoting the use and protection of IP. They cover areas of IP expertise incorporating EU practices, recent case-law, the latest developments in the field and real-life case studies to provide practical insights for students.

These lectures represent a collaborative achievement helping to close the gap between intellectual property education and empowering professionals from Africa to take a more prominent role in this field. The aim of AfrIPI, ARIPO, the EUIPO, and the participating universities is to build a group of professionals who possess the skills to teach, use and safeguard intellectual property. This is upheld by the spread of intellectual property knowledge across Africa.