Meeting with Pratyush Nath Upreti, Doctor in Law (2020)

My expertise lies in intellectual property, trade, and international investment law. I received BSc.LLB (Hons) degree from India and an LLM from Maastricht University, the Netherlands as a UM High Potential Scholar. I work as a Lawyer (admitted to Nepal Bar Counsel), researcher, and consultant.

I wanted to do a Ph.D. in a School that provides academic insights, teaching opportunities, and professional networking. With these expectations, I applied to Sciences Po. After spending four years at Law School, I can tell with confidence that my expectations were fulfilled. The doctoral programme at Law School creates an atmosphere to ensure that all Ph.D. students have a fulfilling experience. I received research support from Law School, and mentorship from Professors like Severine Dusollier, Michel Vivant and Régis Bismuth has helped me to shape my research and develop academic skills. I must also acknowledge the administrative support that I received during my Ph.D.

After defending my Ph.D. in December (2020), I joined the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, Finland in January 2021 as a post-doctoral researcher. I am involved in a research project on sustainability, innovation, and finance funded by the Academy of Finland. I am also teaching intellectual property courses in LLM Programme. Besides, I am working on a research project on intellectual property rights in the post-pandemic world and preparing my first monograph with Edward Elgar Publishing. Recently, I was involved in a commissioned paper for the European Commission. I am currently engaged in a project with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as a consultant.

From January 2022, I will start a tenured Assistant Professor/Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law at the School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast, United Kingdom. I am excited to embrace this opportunity and continue to be affiliated with Sciences Po Law School.

Four years is a long time! I have so many memories from Law School. Traveling to Sciences Po Reims and Le Havre Campus to teach was quite memorable. Something which I would like to do again. I miss our ‘IP Discussion Group’–just meeting regularly and chit-chatting openly about IP development across the world with cookies was fun. Thanks to Professor Dusollier, for putting together the ‘Discussion Group’ seminar every month.

Ph.D. is the best time to explore, learn and write on the topic of interest. There is so much freedom to think and develop ideas. Of course, there are many challenges, but if you could organize yourself and enjoy the process, the outcome is always rewarding. Doing a Ph.D. in an open-minded institution that encourages researchers to aim for excellence is so important. Sciences Po is one of them!

Thank you. It is an honor to be recognized by the International Association for the Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property (ATRIP). The competition is open for young researchers in intellectual property law, sponsored by the International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys. I am thrilled that my essay ‘A TWAIL Critique of Intellectual Property and Related Disputes in Investor-State Dispute Settlement’ received the first prize, is forthcoming in the Journal of World Intellectual Property. My interest in writing this paper originated after attending doctoral research seminars. Thanks to Professor Dina Waked and others for organizing such events regularly at the Law School.