KARACHI:The Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization of the University of Karachi organized a two-day long workshop for the faculty capacity building on IP Rights at the KU Chinese Teachers Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday.
The chief guest of the inaugural session of the first day of the workshop, the Chairman of Sindh Higher Education Commission, Professor Dr S. M. Tariq Rafi during his address mentioned that he believes this workshop would help create awareness among the faculty members and scholars that Intellectual Property (IP) Rights will give legal protection to research work of our teachers, scholars, and researchers. He asked them to learn more about IP Rights, its responsibilities, prospects, and challenges in detail.
He shared that the provincial HEC is taking steps to bring academia and the business community closer so that our universities do not lose talent and their products can be safeguarded through IP Rights.
The Chairman Sindh HEC Professor Dr Tariq Rafi shared that, ‘We are
providing all possible support to teachers and researchers to carry out their research and register creative works under IP Rights. There is a need to further legislate on it.’
Meanwhile, the KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said that the KU is one of the universities which have taken field experts on boards at the department level and making necessary changes in their curriculum after getting inputs from the relevant industry.
He observed that the tragedy of this country is that rather than doing justice to their responsibilities the department and individuals attempt to fulfill the responsibilities of others. He mentioned that the University of Karachi can provide manpower to the industries as per their needs.
The KU VC Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi said that without the collaboration of the industries and universities, nations cannot be developed, academia provides brains and manpower while industry gives jobs in societies and the varsities can provide sustainable solutions to industry’s
problems through the research conducted in the universities.
He informed the audience that Sindh HEC has been supporting the universities in the province with the grants received by the universities regularly.
Earlier, the KU Director ORIC Dr Syeda Hoor Ul Ain shared that the workshop is being organized to help the faculty members and researchers in the commercialization of their research. She mentioned that this event aims to enhance knowledge and skills on IP Rights and their implications for academic research, innovation, and commercialization.
She further said that the primary objective of this learning initiative is to equip faculty members and scholars with the patent drafting skill set. The program also aims to raise awareness and provide valuable education on navigating the intricacies of IP rights. The workshop aims to join hands to promote commercialization at the University of Karachi.
During the training session of the first day, Senior Patent Examiner, Intellectual Property Organization, Saim
a Kanwal highlights IP rights, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, patenting, licensing, technology transfer, ethical issues in IP, benefits, and challenges of IP, and cases studies to illustrate the practical aspects of IP management and protection.