Six high schools from across Liberia are set to face off in the National Finale of the Intellectual Property (IP) High School Club Competition, scheduled for Friday, 11 July 2025.
The event marks the culmination of a nationwide academic initiative aimed at promoting intellectual property education and awareness among Liberian youth.
The finalists emerged from county-level qualifiers held earlier this year, which featured more than 200 students representing 13 schools across Montserrado, Nimba, and Grand Bassa Counties.
The schools competing in the final round include the county champions:
United Dawah Ummah High School (Montserrado)
W.P.L. Brumskine High School (Grand Bassa)
Ganta United Methodist High School (Nimba)
They will be joined by their respective runners-up:
Lott Carey Baptist Mission High School
J.W. Pearson High School
Bassa High School
The grand finale will be judged by Sister Mary Laurene Browne, who will serve as Head Judge, bringing to a close months of rigorous academic preparation and spirited debate on intellectual property concepts.
Hon. Clarence H. Cole, Deputy Director General for Copyright, praised the students for their grasp of complex intellectual property themes such as copyrights, related rights, piracy, trademarks, patents, and industrial designs.
“These students have demonstrated exceptional comprehension and articulation of complex intellectual property concepts,” Cole noted. “Their performance throughout the competition underscores the transformative impact of targeted educational programmes in shaping Liberia’s future creative and knowledge-based economy.”
The IP High School Club Competition was launched in 2024 to address the gap in intellectual property literacy among Liberian students. The programme aligns with Pillar Six of the ARREST Agenda, which focuses on human capital development as a driver of national progress.
Initially piloted in Montserrado County, the initiative expanded in 2025 to include Nimba and Grand Bassa Counties, thereby enhancing regional representation and broadening access to IP education.
According to Cole, the programme not only raises awareness about legal and economic aspects of intellectual property rights but also nurtures creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial thinking among students.
“By encouraging students to engage with real-world legal and economic frameworks that protect creative works, the initiative is helping to cultivate a generation of Liberian innovators, artists, and entrepreneurs,” he added.
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