Esther Ekong is currently pursuing her doctoral research at the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, under the supervision of Professors Chidi Oguamanam and Jeremy de Beer. She is a member of the Open African Innovation Research (Open AIR) network, and is the Ombudsperson of their New and Emerging Researchers Group.
Esther Ekong’s research draws women entrepreneurs in Nigeria into the ongoing debates about the role of intellectual property (IP) in developing countries, by investigating the level of their interactions with and their experiences in the IP system. In particular, her research focuses on how IP laws impact vulnerable persons like women entrepreneurs in developing countries such as Nigeria. Adopting a feminist research methodology, the research carries out an intersectional analysis of the impact of intellectual property rights (IPRs) on women entrepreneurs in Nigeria as both women and entrepreneurs in developing countries more broadly.
The International Peace Scholarship Fund established in 1949, is a program that provides scholarships for selected international female scholars pursuing graduate studies in the United States and Canada. Members of PEO believe that education is fundamental to world peace and understanding.
It is worth highlighting that Esther Ekong is an incoming Open AIR Queen Elizabeth Scholar and has received significant financial support from the Open AIR network.
Congratulations to Esther Ekong!