Titles:
- Doctoral Researcher, Vrije Universiteit and Université de Liège
Specialisations:
- International laws governing plant genetic resources
- Intellectual property laws (patent and plant breeders’ rights)
- Law Science and Technology Studies
- Farmers’ rights
- Seed marketing lawsPreview Changes (opens in a new tab)
- Biodiversity
Biography:
Saurav Ghimire is a doctoral researcher pursuing a joint PhD at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université de Liège (Belgium). His work explores how international laws governing plant genetic resources, including intellectual property laws (patents and plant variety protection) and seed marketing laws, affect farmers’ plant breeding practices. His current project combines legal analysis with empirical fieldworks, through research stays and collaborations in Indonesia, Bolivia and Spain. His research is funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO).
Previously, Saurav worked as a researcher for the International Law Association (Nepal and Belgium branch), focusing on international economic law, sustainability, and human rights. He also collaborates with the South Centre in Geneva, an intergovernmental organization of developing countries. As part of the South Centre delegation, he participated in the WIPO Diplomatic Conference on Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge (2024). He also regularly attends the Governing Body meetings of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).
His academic interests focus on how emerging technologies reshape the ownership and governance of genetic resources, and on fostering more inclusive legal frameworks for innovation.
Back to overview