3 Day Regional Consultative Workshop on National Innovation System and Intellectual Property (African region) from November 10 - 12, 2014 at Rabat – Kingdom of Morocco
The INIT in joint collaboration with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), and Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) convened the 2nd Regional Consultative Workshop on National Innovation System and Intellectual Property (African Region) in Rabat, Morocco, from November 25-27, 2014. It was the second Workshop of the series. The first workshop of the series was held in Islamabad (October 7-9, 2013) focused on Asian Region.
This series of workshop is aimed at strengthening the capability of senior academicians and planners from the common Member States of OIC and COMSATS to understand and possibly help develop national policies for improving innovation and IP frameworks, as well as enable them to respond effectively to the challenges of building competitive economies during rapid globalization and technological change.
The inaugural session of the event was held on November 25, 2014 and was presided over by the Deputy Director General of ISESCO, Dr. Amina Al Hajri. The Coordinator INIT, Mr. Tahir Naeem; and Advisor-Programmes COMSATS, Mr. Tajammul Hussain, also attended the ceremony. The technical proceedings of the event spread over six sessions of the workshop comprising of talks and presentations that introduced innovation; highlighted the impact and effect of innovation on national economies, particularly those of Africa; and presented intellectual property as a means to securing the future of smaller economies. Several models of African innovation systems and frameworks of intellectual property, and their role in making an economy knowledge-driven with strong linkages among universities, industries and R&D institutions were discussed. Key issues relating to patent filing, indigenous knowledge and need for greater awareness of IP rights were also highlighted.
It was agreed that a holistic and open economic policy for building a national innovation system, technology policies, relevant education are desirable. Each country should try and develop strategies to develop relevant skills required to instill a culture of learning. ISESCO and COMSATS were urged to encourage the parliaments of the Member States to establish Commissions on National Innovation System to better ensure advocacy on ST&I in all member countries. A need for greater awareness regarding IP was called for and it was recommended to include modules on IP in the curricula of middle and high schools. An insight into the innovation policies of developing countries was also provided during the event through the country-specific presentations made by participants from China, Pakistan, Senegal, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Niger, Uganda and Ghana. Finally, a round table discussion touched upon various aspects of the themes and discussions of the event.
Around 40 subject specialists and participants participated in the inaugural function. In the 3 days sessions, the representatives from 17 institutions arrived in the workshop from 13 countries
List of Participating Countries and Institutions
The workshop was participated by Resource Persons and participants from the following Thirteen (13) countries:
- Burkina- Faso
- Islamic Republic of Pakistan
- Kingdom of Morocco
- People’s Republic of China
- Republic of Togo
- Republic of Guinea
- Republic of Benin
- Republic of Cote d’ Ivory
- Republic of Senegal
- Republic of Niger
- Republic of Uganda
- Republic of Ghana
- United Republic of Tanzania
Participating Institutions
The Resource Persons and participants from the following 28 institutions participated in the Workshop:
- OIC Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Coperation, Islamabad Pakistan
- Tongji University, China
- Intellectual Property Management, OMPIC, Morocco
- University of Lome, Togo
- COGuiplast, Guinea
- MAROC, Morocco
- National Agency of Industrial Property, Benin
- Chef de la Division SHS, Senegal
- Innovation, entrepreneurship and competitiveness, COSTECH, Tanzania
- Research Institute of Health Science, IRSS, Burkina Faso
- Research and Innovation, Niger
- Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, Uganda
- Chairman IP Committee, Ghana
- Inter Islamic Network on Information Technology, (INIT) Pakistan.
- Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS),
- Pakistan Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Morocco
- COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad, Pakistan