The University of Asia Pacific (UAP) and the Department of Patents, Industrial Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) under the Ministry of Industries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 7 July to strengthen intellectual property (IP) protection, promote innovation and support patent registration for researchers.

The agreement was signed at the Vice Chancellor’s Conference Room at UAP and was followed by a discussion and training session, during which the establishment of a Technology and Innovation Support Centre (TISC) at the university was proposed to facilitate access to patent information, technology resources and innovation support.

Speaking at the programme, DPDT Director General Md. Jahangir Hossain said the department is interested in establishing a support office at UAP to provide guidance on patent registration, industrial designs and trademarks. He said the proposed TISC would strengthen research and innovation by offering technical support and access to global patent databases. He also praised UAP’s pharmacy laboratories and its collaboration with industry, noting that intellectual property protection plays a vital role in fostering innovation, business development and economic growth.

Professor Dr. Mohammad Shahriar, dean of the School of Pharmacy at UAP, said the partnership would promote intellectual property awareness and facilitate patent protection for faculty members and researchers.

Professor Dr. Md. Selim Reza, dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Dhaka, encouraged UAP to develop its own intellectual property policy, saying comprehensive IP frameworks have contributed significantly to research and innovation in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. He added that the MoU would facilitate seminars, training programmes and other capacity-building initiatives.

Professor Dr. Abu Sayeed M. Ahmed, dean of the School of Environmental Science and Design at UAP, highlighted the importance of collaboration among universities through memoranda of agreement to promote research, knowledge exchange, training and shared laboratory facilities.

Professor Dr. M. A. Baqui Khalili, dean of the School of Business at UAP, said the collaboration would help researchers gain a better understanding of patents, industrial designs and trademarks while enabling them to protect their innovations more effectively.

In his concluding remarks, Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Mohiuddin Ahmed Bhuiyan thanked DPDT officials for their initiative to establish a support office at UAP. He also welcomed the proposal for a memorandum of agreement between UAP and the University of Dhaka and suggested introducing laboratory and research facility exchange programmes under corporate social responsibility initiatives as part of the university’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

The programme was conducted by Brigadier General (Retd.) Professor Dr. A. K. M. Nazrul Islam, registrar of UAP. Faculty members, university officials and DPDT representatives also attended the event. Earlier, DPDT officials conducted a training session on patents and intellectual property for faculty representatives from UAP’s academic departments.