472. We appreciate the initiative of the United States for the introduction of this issue and welcome the debate and exchange of ideas in the Council. The issue of university technology partnership is important for both the developed and developing countries, but maybe for different reasons. We agree that university technology partnerships could be an important driver of economic growth, but there are two types of universities – government and private.
473. We have nothing to say about the role or function of private universities and they usually operate as private companies. That is why private universities are free to indulge in any kind of commercially beneficial research and reserve patent protection. But public universities funded by the government in developing countries like Bangladesh are different cases, because the government is accountable to the people for the money they spend in all the sectors which includes education, research and universities. So while we describe the role of university technology partnerships regarding IP and innovation, it is obvious that it will not play the same role in all the countries with the same effect.
474. The present global IP regime does not provide a level playing field, and does not necessarily promote innovation and development equally in all the countries. In most of the developing countries and in all the LDCs the private sector does not have the capacity to invest heavily in research and development; it is the government and public sector which fill the gap created by the absence of the private sector in research. Big educational institutions like universities and governmental organizations do the bulk of research for the benefit of the common people. Government-sponsored universities and the research organization in the field of higher education in Bangladesh had developed high-yielding tea, paddy and jute in the field of agriculture and all the peoples of Bangladesh are benefiting from this invention. Domestically prepared oral dehydration salt for the treatment of diarrhoea was invented in Bangladesh by a government-sponsored disease research centre, which is now saving the lives of millions all over the world.
475. However, for the interest of the people, these inventions were not protected, so we agree with the initial statement that universities can be an important source of IP and innovation, but due to lack of any identifiable transfer of technology and due to the spirit of universal benefit, public universities in the developing countries should always cater to the needs of the people based on the priorities for the social development, and protecting and patenting their achievements for commercial interest could be counter-productive to the idea of development.
