A UNIVERSITY has been awarded more than £30,000 to raise awareness of intellectual property issues among its students.

Durham University has secured £34,500 for its UnzIP Knowledge of Business Value project, which teaches students how a business can protect its ideas.

Michael Bath, business development manager in the university’s department of business and innovation services, received the award from Government minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe.

Professor Brian Tanner, the university’s dean for enterprise, said: “This major prize from the Intellectual Property Office recognises the effort we put in to ensure that our graduates can succeed in the world of work, whether working for others or in starting their own businesses.

“We already teach our postgraduate research students how important it is to recognise and protect the intangible value in a business and, with help from the student enterprise societies, this project will enable us to roll out the postgraduate programme to all undergraduates, using attractive and appropriate media tools.”