ACTIVITIES
Visit to OAPI and audience with the Director General and senior management staff
24 — 30th January 2024
Between January 24th and 30th, 2024, Daniel Acquah, the project’s PI, visited the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) headquarters in Yaounde, Cameroon. He was invited by OAPI’s Director General, Mr. Denis Bohoussou, and met with him and other senior management staff to discuss possible areas of cooperation and collaboration. The discussions were fruitful, and an MoU will soon be signed. Dr. Acquah also extended an invitation to the Director General to attend his upcoming workshop on “IP Technical Assistance and Development in Africa” scheduled to take place in Finland in August 2024. OAPI is a significant intellectual property organization in Africa and a crucial partner of the project. During his visit, Dr. Acquah interviewed senior management staff and gathered data for the project.
Meeting with the Director of the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Cameroon
29 January 2024
On January 29, 2024, Dr Acquah had a meeting with the Director of the Ministry of Mines, Industry, and Technological Development in Cameroon. During the meeting, Dr. Acquah informed him about the project and discussed areas of cooperation. The Director gladly agreed to be interviewed for the project. The meeting was very productive and Cameroon was selected as one of the countries for data collection in the project.
Visit to the Law Development Centre (LDC), Makerere University, Uganda
1 February 2024
On February 1st, 2024, I had a meeting with the Director of the Law Development Centre (LDC) at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. The LDC is the top institution in Uganda for legal education, training, and research. Therefore, it is an important partner for research on intellectual property issues in Africa, particularly in Uganda. The Director expressed a warm welcome to the idea of cooperation and collaboration.
Visit to the Ugandan National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST)
2nd February 2024
During my time in Uganda, I had the pleasure of visiting the National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) and meeting with their leadership. UNCST is a vital partner for my project as it is responsible for developing and implementing policies and strategies for integrating science and technology into Uganda’s national development agenda. Uganda is a leader in intellectual property policy and law-making in Africa, making it a crucial hub and test case for the TACIP project.
Visit to ARIPO and meeting with the Director General and senior management staff (8-12 April 2024)
On April 8-12, 2024, Daniel Acquah visited the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO) headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe. He was invited by ARIPO’s Director General, Mr. Bemanya Twebaze. He met with the Deputy Director General and other senior management staff to discuss potential areas of cooperation and collaboration. The discussions were productive. Dr. Acquah also extended an invitation to the Director General to attend his upcoming workshop on “IP Technical Assistance and Development in Africa” scheduled to take place in Finland in August 2024. ARIPO is a significant intellectual property organization in Africa and a crucial stakeholder.