Capacity-building workshops for women

African Intellectual Property Organization

The University of Dschang will host two capacity-building workshops for women from 19 to 23 January 2026 under the project entitled “Economic Empowerment of Women through Innovation and Access to Intellectual Property (AFPI)”. The initiative is organized by the African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI) in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with technical and logistical support from the University of Dschang.

The workshops aim to strengthen the skills of girls and women in innovation, intellectual property, technology transfer, and agribusiness, in line with national policies promoting women and youth empowerment.

The first workshop, scheduled for 19, 20, and 23 January, targets female engineers and scientists. It will bring together 35 participants, including female students and alumnae from the Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences (FASA) and the Faculty of Science, as well as female researchers. Training sessions will focus on the creativity process, patent exploitation, technology transfer, and intellectual property management. Participants will also engage in experience-sharing discussions on career paths and opportunities in scientific and technological fields.

The second workshop, taking place from 21 to 23 January, is dedicated to women in agribusiness. A total of 40 participants will be selected from women’s associations active in agribusiness, managers of women-led small and medium-sized enterprises in the agri-food sector, and women entrepreneurs. The sessions will emphasize creating commercial value through intellectual property, adding value to local products, and addressing opportunities and challenges in the agri-food industry.

Interested candidates are required to submit an application file consisting of a motivation letter indicating their full name, telephone number, email address, and a brief description or title of their project idea. Applications must be submitted to the Technology and Innovation Support Center of the University of Dschang (CATI-UDs), located on Campus A, no later than Friday, 16 January 2026 at 3:30 p.m.

In a formal response to OAPI, the Rector of the University of Dschang confirmed the institution’s full commitment to the success of the workshops and designated CATI-UDs as the focal point for participant selection and coordination, reaffirming the university’s support for initiatives that promote women’s economic empowerment through innovation.