The University of Zambia Research Policy and Intellectual Property Rights

Abstract

The University of Zambia (UNZA) is one of the three public universities established by the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) to provide higher education in the country through teaching, research and public service. To carry out these functions, UNZA has nine schools consisting of Agricultural Sciences, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, Law, Medicine, Mines, Natural Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine. With the firm established undergraduate programmes by late 70s, UNZA introduced postgraduate programmes in the 80s and by 1994 established the Directorate of Research and Graduate Studies (DRGS) with a mandate to promote and coordinate post-graduate studies and research at the University. DRGS's core function in research is therefore to create an enabling environment for University staff and students, and public at large to be involved in research activities. Whereas, the University has made tremendous progress in teaching and service,research has lagged behind particularly in the area of scholarly publications, their commercialisation and protection. To promote scholarly research, publication, commercialization and protection, and interaction between UNZA and the Zambian public, private and civil sectors, the Directorate of Research and Graduate Studies embarked on developing a Research Policy and Intellectual Property Policy. It is our belief as a Directorate, that members of the University Community, the Zambian public, private and civil sector will find the Research Policy and the Intellectual Property Policy stimulating and encouraging to undertake research, publish and commercialise it not only at UNZAbut in the entire country.We look forward and encourage the academia, the public, private and civil sectors to partner and undertake research of multi-disciplinary nature guided by these Research and Intellectual Property policies