Professor Caroline Ncube

Editorial Panelist and Author

Professor Caroline Ncube has an LLB from the University of Zimbabwe, an LLM from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the University of Cape Town (UCT).

She holds the DSI/NRF SARChI Research Chair in Intellectual Property (IP), Innovation and Development at UCT. She also lectures on the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO). She is an Associate Member of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, University of Ottawa, and an expert for WIPO, the Economic Commission for Africa and the Southern African Development Community, amongst others.

Professor Ncube serves on the African Union Scientific Technical Research Commission (ASRIC) Taskforce on IP Protection in Joint Research and Collaboration During Outbreaks. She is a member of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Trade and Industrial Development Advisory Council, and of the African Policy, Research and Advisory Group on Science, Technology and Innovation.

She is a co-editor of the South African IP Law Journal and serves on the editorial boards of several journals including the Journal of World IP. She is a co-leader of the Open African Innovation Research (OpenAIR) partnership and participates in several other research projects. She has been involved in the drafting of AU and regional economic community IP instruments.

She is extensively published in several aspects of IP law. Her publications include Intellectual Property Policy, Law and Administration in Africa: Exploring Continental and Sub-regional Co-operation (2016, Routledge) and Science, Technology & Innovation and Intellectual Property: Leveraging Openness for Sustainable Development in Africa (2021, Juta).

Professor Ncube holds a National Research Foundation B2 rating, which is awarded to researchers who enjoy considerable international recognition for the high quality and impact of their recent research outputs. She is also a Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).