In recent days, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) started to develop and attracted Higher Education Institutions’ attention, including UM Gorontalo (UMGO). IPR is an asset to secure someone’s scientific works and intellectual property. That was a statement from Dr. H. Salahudin Pakaya, MH, the Vice-Rector II UM Gorontalo, as he opened the IPR Submission Assistance by the Gorontalo Regional Office of Ministry of Law and Human Rights in Prof Haryono Suyono Building, Institute for Research and Community Service (LP2M), Tuesday (15/03).

Dr Salahudin also mentioned the importance of awareness and a complete mindset for UMGO lecturers to improve their scientific works. “I always remind us to change our mindset that human resources is an asset. They are not the financial burden of an institution,” said the Law lecturer. Although in the financial statement, the human resource becomes a financial burden. However, the staff or human resource becomes an investment or asset. “In the balance sheet, it is called investment, because they produce something. One of the production is when our intellectual institution produces articles and books,” he added.

According to the data, UMGO had succeeded in achieving nine IPRs in 2021 and has 67 IPRs in total. Dr Muh Firyal Akbar, S.IP., M.Si, the Chairman of LP2M, explained that UMGO should increase the number of IPRs in the future. “The number of IPRs of UMGO should be similar with the number of lecturers in a year. However, various lecturers did not submit their property rights. The property rights are important for us to protect our works, reports, and many other forms,” he said.