As part of the WIPO Academy’s rollout of the IP For Youth & Teachers Program in Africa, a Regional Intellectual Property Training Workshop for Educators in Africa focused on the integration of intellectual property (IP) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), innovation, and entrepreneurship education was held in Kampala, Uganda from May 28 to 30, 2025.
The workshop was organized by WIPO and the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, with the support of the Korean Intellectual Property Office. Forty-five teachers, teacher trainers, curriculum designers and educational policymakers from seven African countries benefitted from the workshop.
Professor Leonid Chechurin, Head for System modeling group at LUT University and TRIZ Expert, guides educators in a practical exercise during the Regional Training Seminar for Educators in Africa held in Kampala, Uganda from May 28 to 30, 2025.
The workshop was specifically tailored with a pre-qualifying online phase which identified the gaps on practical skills of each group in areas of teaching and developing national curricula in IP. During the face-to-face phase, the four groups built on their knowledge and drafted multidisciplinary youth lesson plans focused on the use of creativity and entrepreneurial IP education as a key enabler of innovation and sustainable economic development across the continent.
Hon. Norbert Mao, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda opened the workshop and emphasized that the workshop was a direct response to the regional concerted effort to empower the youth, which make up 70% of the population, to chart the next chapter of economic and social development. He delivered a keynote emphasizing the critical role of youth in innovation and the importance of equipping educators to nurture their potential.
The youth are the real power brokers of the 21st century in Africa, seeing as creators of technology and intellectual property often have more influence than political leaders.
Hon. Norbert Mao, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda
What did the workshop cover?
Tailored training for each group of participants was a core feature of the workshop, which offered coproduction and highly interactive workshops among the groups and international experts specialized in pedagogy, innovation, entrepreneurship, IP, and the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ). The workshop covered topics such as:
- Educators as leaders of incremental change in education systems;
- STEM and IP rights;
- The relationship between STEM education, problem-solving and business;
- Why IP matters for entrepreneurship;
- Execution of practical approaches for bringing IP to market; and
- Teaching, pitching and generating national IP valuation processes.
Through the workshop, the teachers and curriculum designers learned how to integrate IP, innovation, and entrepreneurship into STEM subjects in classrooms and curricula. The teacher trainers developed practical ways of building teaching competencies in IP, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and the education policymakers learned how to craft policy initiatives to integrate IP education into national curricula. The workshop equipped participants with the tools and knowledge needed to initiate change, laying the groundwork for future, sustainable reforms in education systems across Africa.
A spotlight on innovative and entrepreneurial youth
A highlight of the workshop was the intervention of two youth inventors, Ms. Ramizah Namatovu, and Ms. Nangobi Mary Immaculate, from Uganda who presented their IP learning journeys to demonstrate the life changing impact IP education had on their lives.
Ms. Ramizah Namatovu preparing her Ezy Beanz product for packaging and distribution.
Ms. Ramizah Namatovu talked about her patent and trademark-protect innovations, Cold Heat Box, a solar-powered cooling and drying system for agricultural products, and Ezy Beanz, a pre-cooked bean product that reduces cooking time and energy consumption. She highlighted how IP protection helped her launch her products on the local market.
Ms. Nangobi Mary Immaculate and her innovative maternity pad.
Ms. Nangobi Mary Immaculate showcased Smart Mummy Pad, a maternity pad she invented to measure postpartum blood loss and send real-time alerts for timely medical intervention. She emphasized how protecting her innovation as a utility model made it possible to distribute it across Uganda, gaining national recognition for its contribution to improvements in maternal health outcomes in remote areas of the country.
What the participants are saying?
As a teacher trainer in Uganda, I gained valuable insights to support over 10,000 STEM educators. One of my key takeaways is the need to equip learners with the skills and tools they need to create and protect their creations. I now plan to embed IP and entrepreneurship in national training programs. The workshop did not just educate—it empowered! I leave with a broader vision and a deeper commitment to shaping a generation of innovators who are also protectors of their intellectual work.
Ms. Caroline Taliba, Teacher Trainer at the Teacher Instruction Education Department of Uganda
The sessions on STEM, innovation, and IP were highly engaging and enriched my teaching perspective. I was particularly inspired by the practical strategies shared by the speakers. The networking opportunities enabled meaningful exchanges with professionals across Africa. I left with new tools to implement project-based learning and foster critical thinking. I look forward to applying these insights in my classroom to better prepare students for the challenges of the future.
Mr. David Yirenkyi Asamoah, Lower and Upper Secondary Science and Mathematics Teacher at Vine Christian High School in Ghana