The Emerging Researchers Symposia are a feature of our work and one of the main tools by which we make a contribution to enriching the next generation of IP scholars in Africa. They are hosted in person at UCT, in addition to conferences, colloquiua and summer schools. During the first cycle of the chair, we hosted the then South African Association of IP Law and IT Law Teachers and Researchers (AIPLITL)'s 3rd Annual Conference in 2019. In 2024, in collaboration with the World IP Organisation (WIPO) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) we co-hosted the WIPO-WTO Colloquium and IP Scholars Africa (IPSA) Conference. Since then we host the Emerging Researchers Symposia at UCT Law.
First edition - 2025
The Symposium was held in July 2025, see the call for papers, page for participants and this report: Indigenous Knowledge, Intellectual Property, and my journey as an Emerging Research by Cindy Moshatane.
Following the Symposium an open access Special Edition of the South African IP Law Journal was published containing nine papers from the symposium participants, see the preliminary pages, including the table of contents and be sure to read these thought provoking papers.
Second edition - 2026
The call for papers is live and we are anticipating many outstanding submissions and look forward to a great symposium.
🗓 Date: 7–11 September 2026
📍 Venue: University of Cape Town, South Africa
🎯 Theme: Africa’s IP and Innovation Future: Norm-Setting, Regional Integration, and New Research Frontiers
🔎 Key Themes Include:
✅ Africa’s emerging IP architecture and continental norm-setting
✅ IP, development, and equitable innovation in a continental market
✅ Protection of traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, and biodiversity
✅ Digital transformation, AI, and the future of IP enforcement
✅ Climate change, sustainability, and green innovation
✅ Fintech, digital markets, and IP governance in Africa
For more details, please see the Call for Papers.