Birzeit master’s student obtains second patent

Atef Shkokani, a project coordinator at Birzeit University’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit (IEU) and master’s student of business administration, obtained a patent, his second, for developing safety technology that can be implemented in modern vehicles. The technology helps reduce accidents that tend to occur when mobile phones are used while driving.

Shkokani acquired his first patent for developing a device that recharges batteries in electric and hybrid vehicles with utmost efficiency.

At the IEU, Shkokani assists with the development of emerging innovative projects. He also works with the IEU team in the Leadership and Active Citizenship Program (MASARI), a program that aims to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship among students, enabling them to contribute positively to their societies. MASARI consists of two social entrepreneurship stations through which students can develop problem-solving skills. Shkokani has a great interest in innovation, inventions, and engineering and seeks to raise awareness among Palestinians and promote the implementation of policies that secure the recognition of their inventions on local and global levels.

Shkokani recently joined an intensive training program in Geneva, Switzerland, that was deployed by the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy in cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization and covered methods of evaluating innovations and familiarized attendees with the process of securing a patent from the organization. His training forms a first step towards establishing the Technology and Information Support Center at Birzeit University. This center will offer support and guidance for researchers and students and emphasize the importance of securing intellectual property rights for project and research results. By recording patents, the university hopes to further stimulate research and the generation of innovative ideas, rendering them applicable, tangible and rewarding.

Last year, Shkokani participated in a special training project during which trainees learned about the best methods to develop business incubators.