Bayero University Kano Hosts Seminar on Research Funding and Intellectual Property Protection

The Department of Medical Laboratory Science at Bayero University Kano (BUK) organized a one-day seminar on research funding and intellectual property protection.

The event, held at the Mini Theatre, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, aimed to equip researchers with strategies for securing funding and safeguarding intellectual property.

Keynote Speaker, Prof. Dato' Dr. Mohd Azmi Mohd from the University of Putra Malaysia (UPM), emphasized the importance of research funding in advancing innovation and commercialization. He stressed that academics should focus on research areas benefiting Nigerian society, such as malaria, neglected diseases, diagnostics, and maternal health issues.

Distinguished speakers, including Prof. Shehu Alhaji Musa, former Vice Chancellor of Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, and Prof. Jamil Ismail of Africa Centre of Excellence for Population Health and Policy (ACEPHAP), highlighted the need for researchers to:

- Develop well-structured proposals tailored to potential funders

- Adopt technology and machine learning in biomedical applications

- Focus on quality and implication of research

- Specialize in particular fields

- Protect intellectual property through patents, copyrights, trademarks, and industrial designs

The seminar aimed to address the growing concern about intellectual property protection among academics and provide insights into commercializing research ideas.