The University of Cape Coast community has expressed excitement over its video which was shortlisted among the finalists in the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) World Intellectual Property (IP) Day 2024 Youth Video Competition. The video, titled; “Seaside Sole Symphony: Upcycled Flip-Flop Art from Ghana” was the only video from Ghana that was shortlisted among 104 entries from 70 countries.

The video is published on the website of the World Intellectual Property Organization as one of the top videos that according to WIPO, “Captured innovative and inspiring stories of inventors, creators, entrepreneurs and local communities around the world whose innovations, creativity and use of IP rights are improving people’s lives and safeguarding our planet in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

The celebration was crowned with an interview on ATL FM, a staple within the University’s Campus Broadcasting Service (CBS). The Interview was aimed at creating awareness on World IP Day whilst acknowledging the establishment of an Innovation and Technology Transfer Office at the University of Cape Coast. The discussion focused on the theme for the 2024 IP celebration, “IP and SDGs: Building our Common Future with Innovation and Creativity. The interaction also delved into the University of Cape Coast Intellectual Property Policy and the role the UCC Innovation and Technology Transfer Office is playing in helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The interview panel was made up of Mr. Isaac Nketsiah and Mrs. Eunice Nartey, Technology Transfer Officers at the Directorate of Research Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC – UCC) and Mr. Saviour Deikumah, IP representative at the Africa Centre of Excellence for Coastal Resilience (ACECoR – UCC).

Mr. Isaac Nketsiah encouraged faculty to indicate which SDGs their research works focused on to increase the visibility of the contribution of the University towards achieving the SDGs.

Mrs. Eunice Nartey, on her part, encouraged faculty and staff to visit the Innovation and Technology Transfer Office at DRIC to disclose their creations and inventions and seek guidance for the creation process.

Ahead of the celebrations, a capacity-building workshop was held for intellectual property representatives from colleges, schools and faculties at the University of Cape Coast.  Participants were taken through intellectual property regimes, the relevance of intellectual property to the University community and the role participants could play to help the University fully exploit the benefits of intellectual property. 

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC