Frank Akpoviri

Frank received an LL.B. and an MBA from the University of Benin, Nigeria. He also holds an M.A. in American Studies from the Center for American Studies, Brussels, Belgium, and an LL.M. in International Business Law from the University of London.  He is currently a doctoral researcher in Synthetic Biology, Intellectual Property and Open Innovation at the National University of Malaysia (UKM), where he has worked, as a Graduate Research Associate, on legal and policy issues in the field of biotechnology. His co-authored works are published in international journals, including the International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics. One of his works, presented at the Research and Innovation Congress, UKM Bangi, Malaysia in November, 2013, assesses the prospective benefits of synthetic biology and related challenges. Another work entitled, “The Exploitation and Effective Governance of Synthetic Biology,” presently being peer-reviewed, proposes a framework for the responsible development of synthetic biology. Frank is a three-time recipient of the UKM Zamalah Research Award. He takes keen interest in cross-disciplinary studies spanning the fields of politics, law, business and technology.