Yesterday, 11th August 2026, Bishop Stuart University (BSU) hosted a National Universities Copyright and Authorship Workshop conducted by the Uganda Reproduction Rights Organisation (URRO) under the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB).
The workshop focused on the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Act, 2026, highlighting its implications for higher education, research and scholarly publishing. Participants also explored responsible use of learning materials, reprographic licensing, opportunities for authors to protect and commercialise their works and ways to strengthen research excellence.
At the official opening of the workshop, Prof. John F. Mugisha, Vice-Chancellor of BSU, welcomed the URRO team and emphasised the importance of publishing and authorship in advancing research and innovation at the University. He encouraged staff to write and publish more, noting that knowledge generated through academia can also create economic opportunities for scholars.
Prof. Elisam Magara, a Professor at the East African School of Library and Information Science at Makerere University and Chairman of the Uganda Textbooks, Academic and Non-Fiction Authors Association (UTANA), encouraged the University community to use copyright laws to protect their scholarly books, research, and publications. He emphasised that authorship goes beyond writing, highlighting the importance of originality, confidence in one’s work, and ownership of ideas. Prof. Magara also donated some of his copyrighted scholarly books to Bishop Stuart University. Prof. John Francis Mugisha and the University Librarian received the books.
