Lecture by Sisule Musungu, Access to Knowledge and the Global Intellectual Property Policy Debates

The lecture will focus on the concept of access to knowledge (A2K) to explain and interrogate the current global policy debates on intellectual property rights (IPR) pitting high-income countries (HICs) against low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The A2K concept will be used to explain what is at issue and, most importantly, the philosophical and practical questions that need to guide and inform a global dialogue on the best ways to incentivise and finance innovation, creativity and culture while ensuring the widest possible access to the fruits such innovation and creativity.

Sisule F. Musungu is an international legal and policy expert as well as a practitioner with over 13 years progressive experience and has undertaken professional assignments in over 30 countries. He is currently the President of IQsensato (Geneva – www.iqsensato.org) and the Managing Director of IQsensato Consulting (Nairobi – www.iqsensato.net). He is also a partner at Sisule Munyi Kilonzo and Associates, a Nairobi-based law firm (www.thesmklawfirm.com). His research, policy work and practice focuses on governance and the development dimensions of innovation, access to knowledge, intellectual property and international trade. He is also a human rights researcher. Sisule holds law degrees from the University of Nairobi (Kenya) and the University of Pretoria (South Africa) as well as a post-graduate diploma in law from the Kenya School of Law.

Sisule will be joined at this event by Joyojeet Pal, Assistant Professor, School of Information.

This event is co-sponsored with the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program, the Center for Global Health, the Office of the Vice President for Research, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, International Policy Center, and the University of Michigan Library.