Welcome back to another week of Bells & Whistles!
We’re kicking things off with new uploads on SpicyIP TV, including Sonisha’s conversation with Kailash Nadh on Reimagining (C), Tech Sovern. & Open Source and LinkedIn Live session on Tribunals and Tribulations: S.12A, SEPs, & CCI with Ambika Aggarwal, Daanish Naithani and Yogesh Byadwal (recording available on LinkedIn and YouTube). If you haven’t tuned in yet, this is your cue — and there’s plenty more waiting for you on the channel!
BELL OF THE WEEK
This week, I want to spotlight Bottle of Lies, Katherine Eban’s gripping investigation into the fractured world of generic drug regulation in India and the U.S. At its core is the extraordinary story of Dinesh Thakur, the Ranbaxy whistleblower whose courage reshaped global conversations on drug safety, compliance, and public health.
Since then, Thakur has remained a persistent and principled voice for reform. He continues to push for stronger regulation, transparency, and public accountability in the drug approval ecosystem — writing extensively on these issues, often alongside Prashant Reddy. Together, they co-authored The Truth Pill: The Myth of Drug Regulation in India, a powerful examination of how systemic weaknesses in India’s regulatory framework affect patient safety.
A Bell that rings for integrity, vigilance, and the ongoing fight to make medicines genuinely safe for those who rely on them.
EVENTS
1. International Law and IP Practices in South Asia (Centre for Asian Legal Studies, NUS Law)
17 November 2025 | 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM (SGT) | Online Webinar (National University of Singapore)
Join the Centre for Asian Legal Studies (NUS Law) for a webinar on International Law and IP Practices in South Asia, based on the recently published volume Intellectual Property Debates in South Asia: Law, Development and Practice (Hart Publishing, 2025). The session will feature contributors and experts Naazima Kamardeen, Arul George Scaria, and Benjamin Wong in a conversation on contemporary IP governance, regional legal dynamics, and the developmental role of IP law in South Asia.
More info
2. IDIA Karnataka – Law School 101 Bootcamp
22–23 November 2025 | Online | Fee: ₹500 (1 Day) / ₹800 (Both Days) — Fee waivers available
IDIA Karnataka announces the Law School 101 Bootcamp for students preparing for law school or beginning their legal journey. The programme features NLSIU alumni who have gone on to distinguished careers at Oxford, Harvard, top law firms such as S&R, CAM, Khaitan & Co., and in litigation. Participants will receive a certificate issued by IDIA Karnataka. The bootcamp offers insider strategies for moots, CV building, internships, and research, along with candid conversations on careers in corporate law, litigation, and policy. Sessions also include guidance on LLMs and international fellowships, led by alumni who’ve navigated these pathways.
More info | Register here
3. The Road to AIII – Episode 4: What Have We Learned & What’s Next? (WIPO Webinar)
28 November 2025 | 13:00–14:00 Geneva Time | Virtual
Hosted by WIPO, this fourth episode of “The Road to AIII” reflects on insights gained across the series about copyright infrastructure in the age of AI. The discussion will examine emerging themes from expert conversations across industries and outline what’s next for AIII in the coming weeks and months. The session will be conducted in English.
More info
OPPORTUNITIES
*1st National Policy Brief Competition on Intellectual Property & Innovation 2025 (SpicyIP & CIPAM, DPIIT)*
Deadline: 14 December 2025
The competition invites law students to present policy solutions on pressing IP and innovation issues. Teams of three (from the same institution) can choose between two themes — Trade Secrets & Confidential Information in the Pharmaceutical Sector and Standard-Essential Patents (SEPs) and Technological Innovation.
More info
1. CSIR–NIIST Residential Training: Patents, Copyright, GI & Trademarks for Entrepreneurship
Deadline: 22 November 2025
CSIR NIIST invites applications for a fully funded 5-day residential training programme on Patents, Copyright, GI & Trademarks for Entrepreneurship from 8 – 12 December. Designed to strengthen practical skills in IPR, technology transfer, and innovation management, the programme features expert-led sessions and hands-on exposure to Indian and international IP systems.
More info
2. 3rd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Horizons & Society (ICAIH 2026)
Submission Deadline: 10 December 2025
The 3rd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Horizons & Society (ICAIH 2026) is jointly hosted by the University of Aizu and O.P. Jindal Global University, with support from ETLTC Management Services LLC and the ACM Chapter on E-Learning and Technical Communication. The conference explores interdisciplinary perspectives on AI across law, business, international affairs, education, environmental studies, and related fields.
More info
3. Call for Papers: UCL IBIL PhD Conference on Intellectual Property
Application Deadline: 12 January 2026 (4:00 PM GMT)
The UCL Institute of Brand and Innovation Law (IBIL) invites applications from PhD students working on intellectual property to present a work-in-progress paper at its PhD conference on 24 June 2026. This free, in-person event offers a supportive forum for IP doctoral researchers to discuss their projects and connect with peers. A prize will be awarded for the best conference paper, and presenters will also have the opportunity to submit their work to the UCL Journal of Law and Jurisprudence, the faculty’s open-access, peer-reviewed journal.
More info
4. Ghent University BOF PhD “Sandwich” Scholarships (Global South)
Application Deadline: 17 February 2026
With support from its Special Research Fund (BOF), Ghent University offers PhD “sandwich” scholarships for promising doctoral researchers from Global South countries. The scheme welcomes proposals from all disciplines, with preference for research that demonstrates strong North–South relevance—i.e., alignment with beneficiary needs, synergy opportunities, global priorities, and partner or donor policy objectives.
More info
5. College of Arts and Law Doctoral Scholarships (University of Birmingham)
Application Deadline: 27 February 2026 | Fully Funded & Partially Funded Awards
The College of Arts and Law invites applications for fully funded and partially funded doctoral scholarships for the 2026/27 academic year. These awards support outstanding PhD researchers who will contribute actively to the College’s PGR community and align their projects with the College’s research priorities, including Environment, Creative Industries, Culture and Heritage, Inequality, and Interdisciplinarity. Full scholarships include a tuition fee waiver (UK fee level) and a stipend at the UKRI rate. Scholarships are open to Home and International applicants for full- or part-time, campus-based doctoral research in any programme within the College of Arts and Law.
More info
Thanks to Daanish, Kartik, Niharika, Lokesh and Praharsh for the leads!
All non-sponsored listings featured here are events or opportunities free or nominally charged and ones we think our readers may be interested in. Sponsored listings will be marked as such. Unless specifically mentioned, SpicyIP has no affiliation to anything listed here. Know of an event worth sharing? Write to us at contact[at]spicyip[dot]com.