The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is joining forces with two of the world’s premier universities to advance research, education and practice in pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences.
The newly minted Pharmacy Alliance brings together the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy and the pharmacy programs at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and University College London in England. The partners will work together to transform education, pursue new research ventures and enhance professional practice in pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences.
“These are the premier programs of their kind on three continents,” said Robert Blouin, dean of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. “This strategic partnership gives our three institutions access to resources, talents, and opportunities that no one school in one country could possess alone.”
Each school will contribute up to $500,000 initially to fund proposals for collaborations between faculty, staff and students at the three universities.
Partners in Discovery
The schools expect new research collaborations to enable scientists to more effectively and rapidly address major international issues in the fields of drug discovery, nanomedicine development and nanotechnology. These partnerships will have the opportunity to tap research funds in each nation reserved for international partnerships.
Bill Charman, dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University, said the alliance would specifically address the big issues in the field, those that cannot be addressed by one institution alone.
“The three partners have similar philosophies and ambitions for our field, and we see collaboration as the best means to rapidly and effectively address them in a global context,” Charman said.
Opportunities for Exchange
UNC, Monash and UCL will work to inspire and train the future leaders and practitioners of the profession on a global stage. The exchange of students, faculty, and staff is one element of the partnership that is expected to lead to a sharing of ideas that will benefit all parties, said Duncan Craig, director of the UCL School of Pharmacy.
“A global perspective can present a solution to a local challenge and vice versa,” Craig said. “The opportunities afforded by a partnership such as this one are unprecedented, and we are very excited to begin exploring the possibilities.”
Two UNC pharmacy students are already visiting Melbourne during the month of March with additional visits planned for the following months.
Published March 11, 2015.