By Sanna Jawara
As part of its core mandates and inspired responsibility to promote and protect creativity and innovation related matters across the globe, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), has taken Intellectual Property (IP) education to University of The Gambia (UTG), where it shall be lecture in all faculties of the country’s highest learning institution.
This development followed recommendations made at the end of a three-day National Symposium (seminar) on IP Education organised by WIPO in collaboration with Attorney General Chambers and Ministry of Justice, through its IP Office and that of UTG held from 15th -17th April 2019, at the UTG new conference hall located on MDI Road, Kanifing.
The seminar brought together students and lecturers from various faculties of UTG and other stakeholders in the promotion and protection of creative industries at both local and international level such as National Centre for Arts and Culture, Copyright Office of The Gambia, Custom Officials from GRA, The Gambia Police Force IP unit among others.
The three days were characterised by presentation of various researched papers by various personalities on various topical issues such as building intellectual property for innovation and creativity, the role of government and private sector in supporting Intellectual Property (IP) education, training and research nationally, the importance of teaching Intellectual Property (IP), human resource development in IP, WIPO Academy education and training programs, basics strategies for designing IP curriculum, recommended IP materials among others were extensively interrogated for adaptation towards having an effective IP education, training, skills and awareness in The Gambia, through UTG and other tertiary institutions across the country and beyond.
Recommendations were also made for extending IP education to other educational systems as low as basic circles, junior and senior secondary school inspired by the need to catch them young in the world of creativity and innovation, thus making them job creators instead of job seekers, through various enterprise skills linked with having creative and innovative minds.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the event, Martha Chikowore- counsellor Academic Institutions and executive program at WIPO academy registered sincere appreciation and thanks to Mr Abdoulie Colley-Acting Registrar General and Mr Alieu Jallow-Acting Registrar of Companies for proper organisation and coordination of the seminar.
She spoke about functions of WIPO in provision of education, skills and training on IP related matters for institutions and individuals across the globe and the importance of having effective IP usage for both public and private sector.
The WIPO representative expressed the need to enhance IP teaching and learning in all faculties of UTG and made reference to the joint IP master’s degree programs offered by WIPO academy and other universities across the world and role of such post graduate holders back in their home countries, including The Gambia with reference to those present in the hall.
The WIPO academy boss quoted the former South African president Nelson Mandela, who described education as the most powerful weapon in the world. She seized the opportunity and urged participants to come up with proposals and recommendations for effective IP use in UTG and beyond.
Hasoum Ceesay was the quest speaker for the occasion, who described the event as very timely and important, cognizant of the importance of IP towards achieving sustainable objectives of any given country, including The Gambia as a third world country, where creative and innovative industries cannot be left behind.
Other speakers included Vice Chancellor UTG, who gave assurance of UTG’s commitment to introduce IP in all faculties taking into consideration its importance for both public and private sector development objectives.
