The Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) and the University of Liberia signed an Institutional Agreement to establish a Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) at the state-run University.
The center will provide researchers and students access to patented databases, scientific literature, and specialized training on intellectual property rights. It aims to support applied research for innovation and commercialization (products and services development). Under the Agreement, the University and LIPO will also collaborate to introduce intellectual property as a Specialized Training Program under the professional development framework of the University of Liberia.
With the signing on September 30, 2025, the University of Liberia joins a network of institutions including the African Methodist Episcopal University, United Methodist University, and Starz University. The Central Agricultural Research Institute, iCampus Liberia, and the Ministry of Health’s Division of Alternative and Complementary Medicine are also members.
According to Dr. Layli Maparyan, President of the University of Liberia, the Agreement represents the desire of the University Administration to not only engage in innovation but also to offer a Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property and eventually a BSc program.
“At long last, we are signing an agreement to establish the Technology and Innovation Support Center to support intellectual property education and protection at the University of Liberia and in the nation,” Dr. Maparyan added. “I also would like to thank Liberia Unipod for its efforts in making this agreement a reality.”
In response, Hon. Garmai Koboi noted that the Agreement represents the Government of Liberia’s commitment to creating pathways for higher education institutions to engage in innovation, translating academic outputs into tangible impact.
“Bringing TISC to the University of Liberia ensures that researchers, students, and faculty have access to mentorship, legal protection, and practical tools needed to transform research into products and services.”
Since the TISC program’s initiation in 2021, LIPO, in collaboration with its partner, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), has trained more than one hundred (100) researchers on patents, trademarks, industrial design searches, and patent strategies. These trainings have built the skills of researchers to navigate the complex terrain of intellectual property, ensuring that applied research is commercialized as products or services.
TISC is a program run by WIPO that helps researchers, inventors, and entrepreneurs around the world unlock their innovative potential and protect, manage, and create value with their intellectual property (IP) rights. WIPO supports the development of TISC through technical training, specialized resources (including platforms and tools, learning resources, and publications), networking, and facilitating access to databases.
