Report on recent ARIPO patent drafting course in Zimbabwe
One of Rouse Africa's directors, Bastiaan Koster, was a lecturer at a patent drafting course for ARIPO members on 7-11 September 2015 in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Each ARIPO country could send one member on this course. Emmanuel Jelsch from Katzarov, Switzerland and Takao Matsui from Okabe, Japan also lectured on the course.
The week provided an opportunity to engage with each of the 19 delegates. Zimbabwe was the only country with more than one attendee. The main points coming from conversations were that:
Their local economies are still slow although they are optimistic and all believe there is huge potential in their respective countries.
Many ARIPO countries have recently had changes in government for the better.
Visiting Harare was refreshing and surprising considering the negativity reported by the media in the last few years. I think a political transition in Zimbabwe is likely to happen, at the latest in 2018 during the next elections.
While I was in Harare the previous Vice President of ZANO PF, Ms. Mujuru, announced that she will return to politics with her PF (People First Party). It made the headlines every day. Her published manifesto is very positive and indicates that she will be prepared to work with Tsvangirai to change the government in the next election.
In short, I think we’ll see a boom in Zimbabwe over the next five years and similar trends in many other African countries.
For more information, please contact Bastiaan Koster.
