University of Asia Pacific (UAP) and the Department of Patents, Industrial Designs and Trademarks (DPDT), Ministry of Industries, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, at the Vice Chancellor’s Conference Room of UAP to strengthen intellectual property (IP) protection, promote innovation, and support patent registration for researchers. The signing was followed by a program and training session, where the establishment of a Technology and Innovation Support Centre (TISC) at UAP was also discussed to enhance innovation support and facilitate access to patent information and technology resources.
Speaking at the program, Md. Jahangir Hossain, Director General, DPDT, Ministry of Industries, said DPDT is interested in establishing a support office at UAP to provide guidance on patent registration, industrial designs, and trademarks. He said the proposed TISC would further strengthen research and innovation by providing technical support and access to global patent databases. He also praised UAP’s state-of-the-art pharmacy laboratories and strong academia-industry collaboration, saying intellectual property protection is essential for innovation, business development, and economic growth.
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Shahriar, Dean, School of Pharmacy, UAP, said the MoU would strengthen research and innovation by promoting intellectual property awareness and facilitating patent protection for faculty members and researchers.
Prof. Dr. Md. Selim Reza, Dean, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, urged UAP to formulate its own Intellectual Property Policy, noting that countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have benefited from comprehensive IP frameworks. He said the MoU would facilitate seminars, training programs, and capacity-building initiatives.
Prof. Dr. Abu Sayeed M. Ahmed, Dean, School of Environmental Science and Design, UAP, emphasized collaboration through Memoranda of Agreement (MoAs) among universities to promote research, training, knowledge exchange, and shared laboratory facilities.
Prof. Dr. M. A. Baqui Khalili, Dean, School of Business, UAP, said the partnership would help researchers better understand patents, industrial designs, and trademarks and effectively protect their innovations.
In his concluding remarks, Prof. Dr. Mohiuddin Ahmed Bhuiyan, Acting Vice Chancellor of UAP, thanked Md. Jahangir Hossain and Md. Habibur Rahman, Deputy Director (Patents), DPDT, for their initiative to establish a DPDT support office at UAP. He also welcomed a proposed MoA between UAP and the University of Dhaka and suggested introducing laboratory and research facility exchange programs under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as part of UAP’s 30th anniversary celebrations.
The program was conducted by Brig. Gen. (Retd.) Prof. Dr. A. K. M. Nazrul Islam, Registrar, UAP. Among those present were Prof. Dr. Tanveer Ferdous Saeed, Director, Institute of Research, Innovation and Development (IRID), UAP; Dr. Zabun Nahar, Head, Department of Pharmacy, UAP; Md. Habibur Rahman, Deputy Director (Patents), DPDT; Dr. Shihab Uddin Ahmad, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy, UAP; and Mahammad Ferdaus, Assistant Director, IRID, UAP. Earlier, Md. Jahangir Hossain and Md. Habibur Rahman conducted a training session on patents and intellectual property, attended by representatives of faculty members from all UAP academic departments.