Sheikha Nasser Al Akhzami

 Years of Professional Experience: Two decades 

Sheikha, a senior associate in intellectual property at Al Alawi & Co., has 2 decades of professional experience. She is an IP pioneer in the Sultanate of Oman as the first Omani hold a postgraduate degree in IP law. Sheikha was the champion in initiating 2 projects with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) which is the WIPO-Oman Summer School in IP in 2018 and drafting the WIPO-SQU master program in IP and Innovation.

On the international level, Sheikha is actively participating in WIPO and UN-ESCWA and UNESCO projects and meetings in the technology and IP fields. She plays a major role in managing the WIPO-Oman international project in increasing the role of women in innovation and entrepreneurship with all stakeholders. She completed a two Consultation studies with UN-ESCWA on “Toward a National Efficient and Sustainable Innovation System: Reality and Current Challenges to Innovation and Technology Transfer in Oman and the Proposed Legal Policies” and “Road Map for Technology Transfer Offices in Universities and Research Institutions in Oman: Policies, Operational models, Procedure and Resources”.

Through her knowledge and experience, Sheikha succeeded in establishing the first Technology Transfer Office in Oman at SQU in 2010 and setting its related policies and procedure. She drafted the first IP policy for a research institution in Oman and assisted other Omani institutions in drafting their policies. She conducted a study for the Supreme Council for Planning as part of the UN Development Report on “Innovation in the Sultanate of Oman from the perspective of cognitive development”. Sheikha act as a referee in many local competitions with the Ministry of HE, Research and Innovation, the Ministry of Defense, and other HE institutions.

Sheikha is a dynamic IP expert dedicated to spreading the knowledge of IP among individual inventors/creators and institutions by conducting national forums and presenting several seminars. She was invited as a panelist in many workshops and presented conference papers internationally and locally. For example, a paper was presented with colleagues from Qatar and Saudi Arabia in the 50th Licensing Executive Society (LES) meeting entitled “A Developing Bridge over the Cultural Divide from Petroleum Based Markets into Knowledge Based Economies: The World of Research and Licensing in the Middle East” and a Paper was presented in the WIPO workshop entitled “Role of Patent System to Foster Research & Innovation in Public Universities and Research Institutes”.

• IP Expert for the Omani Court since 2014.

• Editor of a book entitled “Technology Transfer and Commercialization” prepared by the Non-Aligned Member states Research Centre, 2018.

• Consultant for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) since 2016.

• Mentor, WIPO IP Mentoring Program since 2021

• Member, IP and Innovation Research Association (IPIRA), 2020-presen

• Member, Omani Intellectual Property Society, 2019-present

• Member, Omani Science Club, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport

• Member, University Technology Transfer Managers AUTM, US, 2018

• Member, Licensing Executive Society LES, US, 2016

• Member in the IP pillar for the Omani National Innovation Strategy, 2017-2019

• Member in the National Team for Science & Technology with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2015-2017

• Director of the Innovation & Technology Transfer Centre at SQU, 2018-2021

• Acting director of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Department at SQU, 2010-2018

• Head of IP and Head of Collaborative Research at SQU, 2001-2010

• intellectual property