Research Newsletter issue 2 April 2018

OTT CAMPAIGN
Research communities and students
were gathered at the executive dining
hall at Walter Sisulu university, NMD
site to attend a campaign for the
Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) in
the university in August.
A number of students flocked into the
campaign to listen to presentations that
were held by various representatives
of different departments from around
the country.
One of these departments ids National
Intellectual Property Management
Office in Pretoria which is founded
by the Department of Science
and Technology Representing this
department was Dr Elmary Buis who
made a presentation on the protection
of intellectual property for researchers.
“The sole purpose of this office is to
protect the inventions of people, to
facilitate intellectual property that
comes from publicly financed research
institute and develop these to a market
so that it can be a product or service,”
said Buis.
She went on to explain that the office
ensures that other countries in the
world get most of their innovations
from South African Intellectual
Property(IP) and develop it to receive
financial gains.
“It is important to protect our
country’s IP because in the future a
country’s wealth will be determined by
the amount of IP they have produced.
There is a lot of money going into
research in our country but we have
few recognised IPs hence there is the
OTT,” she said.
Present in the Acting Director of the
Directorate of Research Development,
Dr Nomabandla Cishe, the Acting
Director Dr Motebang Nakin and the
Manager of the OTT, Dr Nkosinathi
Sotshangane.
“Our responsibility is to familiarize
researchers within the institution as to
how they can protect their intellectual
right,” said Sotshangana.
On the other hand, 3rd year Law
student, Abongile Nkamisa, said she
found the campaign very useful for her
because she is interested in practising
Intellectual Property Law.
“I am interested in understanding how
we, as lawyers, can protect people’s
IP’s. I think it is very important to have
the OTT in our university as people
need to understand how they gain
from their inventions and how they
can work together with their funders
to innovate,” she said.
Nkamisa went on to say that it is
imperative for every community to
have these kind of offices so as to
motivate people to invent for their
gain.
Another 3rd year law student, Toka
Moeketsi, is aspiring to be on the
innovative side of things. He is
currently conducting research on
improving intra-communications
network, GroupWise, and he is
planning to present his outcomes in a
conference.
“I’m here because I am hoping to get
information on IP as I also want to
research to innovate. It is a great path
to take if you want to understand your
rights as an inventor,” he said.
Mokoetsi said it brings him great joy to
know that there is an office that is in
place, specifically for the exposure and
protection of innovator’s rights.
Meanwhile, Dr Cishe said she was very
happy with the turnout of the students
and leaders of research communities
as it shows that they are dedicated
and hungry for innovative research.
“As the research office, we will make
sure that this office gets maximum
support from us so that it can serve
WSU to its level best,“ she said.
-Ongezwa Sigodi
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