ISLAMABAD: According to Pakistani academics and American legal experts, intellectual property rights (IPR) stimulate economic growth in Pakistan as they protect and encourage innovation and creativity; which are key factors in generating economic activities. They further help industries create new jobs and compete in the international market. This consensus was developed at a roundtable discussion on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for entrepreneurship and innovation, with a focus on IT and engineering, jointly organized by the U.S. Embassy and the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) today at NUST, Islamabad. At the roundtable, academics from NUST, U.S. officials, and a Pakistani-American expert on intellectual property rights (IPR) discussed the wide range of issues relating to IPRs and economic growth with engineering and business students at NUST’s campus. The event featured a keynote address by Pakistani-American Haris Bajwa, a renowned expert on IPR. Bajwa, who has spent more than a decade developing and defending patents for companies such as Google, Samsung, and AOL, highlighted the importance of IPR in creating a knowledge economy, “Intellectual property rights are the fertile soil of invention, and government policies should work to enhance that fertility.” John K. Dickerson, a Senior Commercial Law Advisor at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. emphasized the role of intellectual property in attracting foreign direct investment and promoting economic development. Following the speeches, Bajwa and Dickerson participated in a panel discussion with Dr. Ashfaque Hassan, Dean of Social Sciences at NUST; Dr. Muhammad Shahid, a professor in the School of Chemical and Materials Engineering; and S.M Zaidi, Dean of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Ameen Imam, an Attorney Advisor at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, D.C., also participated in the discussion. The NUST event is one of a series of activities sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad to celebrate World IP Day on April 26th. Each year, U.S. Embassies around the world celebrate World IP Day with activities, events, and campaigns designed to help raise international awareness of the importance of intellectual property rights. This year’s theme, ‘Innovation – Improving Lives’, highlights ordinary people implementing extraordinary new ideas to change the world for the better.