Newsletter 39 - News

Design by Mohanad Nader

Issue: 39

15th January 2007

IPSF Publications

Invitation to the 53rd IPSF Congress in Taiwan Yu-Wen Angela Chang, Chairperson of the Reception Committee 2007 On behalf of the Reception Committee, it is my great pleasure to invite you to participate in the 53rd IPSF World Congress in Taiwan from August 6th to 16th, 2007. The registration started on 1st of January, and ends on 30th of June. (the earlier you register, the cheaper it is!)

Taiwan is famous not only for its well preserved architectural monuments, the exquisite Chinese culture, and friendly atmosphere but is also known as a crossroads of various social, cultural and scientific influences. This exciting city is a convenient location for professional meetings and for a comparison of various experiences.

The congress is designed to offer you varied educational opportunities balanced by a fun-filled social programme. We also provide additional workshops where you can experience the exquisite Chinese culture.

We look forward to your active participation in the 53rd IPSF Congress and to welcoming you to the beautiful city of Taipei in August, 2007.

You can contact me at superfishbal@gmail.com or +886-966093242/ +886-917780560 or visit the website www.ipsf2007.org UNESCO Colloquium on Research and Higher Education Audrey Clarissa, President and Zhining Goh, Chairperson of Education and Practice The 2nd International Colloquium on Research and Higher Education Policy, UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge, Paris, 29 November – 1 December 2006.

The 2nd International Colloquium was a key global event bringing together researchers, policy-makers, experts and stakeholders from all parts of the world to generate discussion on the topic focus “Universities as Centers of Research and Knowledge Creation: An Endangered Species?” It was a followup to the workshop on improving national research systems which Katja Hakkarainen, IPSF Immediate Past President, was invited to attend in April 2006 to share the Federation’s Moving On research projects and to provide student perspectives on the topic. IPSF was represented at the Colloquium by Audrey Clarissa, IPSF President, Zhining Goh, Chairperson of Education and Practice, and Ram Malis from Israel. Counterparts from IFMSA, our sister organisation for medicine, were also present.

It seems that development is increasingly limiting many universities to be institutions of knowledge dissemination rather than knowledge creation. The topic addressed the distribution of this phenomenon across different kinds of societies, political regimes and levels of socio-economic development. There were three main issues discussed: •

• •

Research Capacity - the aggregate of the human, institutional, and financial conditions for pursuing research.

Research productivity - the recognizable output of organized research; a function of research capacity Research relevance and utility - the quality of research from the perspective of a society’s or region’s specific knowledge needs

The central premise for the Colloquium is that research is a key ingredient in the institutional identity of universities and an indispensable prerequisite for a successful program of teaching and public service. It concluded that research plays an important role especially in developing countries and communities, therefore universities should improve their research capacity, productivity, and utility.

Student Exchange Programme (SEP) update Natasa Nikolic, Chairperson of Student Exchange Since “I” stands for International Organisation, we are very proud to welcome new associations in our SEP family. At the 52nd Congress in Cairns, the following organisations joined IPSF: Egypt, GUC-SPSA (German University in Cairo – Student Pharmaceutical Association) Israel, ASRN (Health Sciences Students' Association of the Negev) Bangladesh, BPSA (Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Students’ Association) Kenya, NUPSA (Nairobi University Pharmacy Students’ Association) SAPSF, South Africa (South African Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation) Also MPSA, Macedonia (Macedonian Pharmaceutical Students' Association) and SNAPS, Sweden (Swedish National Association For Pharmacy Students) have expressed their interest to participate in SEP again!

This year will also be the first for students in Tanzania to take part in SEP. ADUPS (Association of Dar Es Salaam University Pharmaceutical Students) is planning to take an active role and begin SEP in Tanzania.

First encouraging steps have already been made.

Having new associations in SEP gives pharmacy students all over the world more opportunities for gaining new experiences. New Student Exchange Officers (SEOs) are well-informed, enthusiastic and already reserving and placing students in their countries. Exchange period will be mostly from June to October, students will spend a month abroad on average. New countries mostly provide internships in community and at universities (research), some of them are offering both. The number of incoming students per country will be between 5-15, which is a very good start and opportunity for outgoing students next year.

Being in contact with new SEOs, feeling the fresh energy and meeting those young leaders together with experienced SEOs from all over the world is definitely a unique feeling that keeps the IPSF spirit growing.

It’s the feeling that cannot be described, but needs to be experienced. See you in SEP! ☺

WHO meeting on Public Health and Intellectual Property Anna Watson, Chairperson of Public Health and Annabelle McGowan, Chairperson of Publications The beginning of December saw the first meeting of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health Innovation and Intellectual Property being held.

The meeting was attended by many WHO Member States, Intergovernmental and Non-governmental organisations and a selected panel of experts, including the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders).

As a non-governmental organisation in official relations with WHO, Annabelle and Anna were in Geneva to represent IPSF. This working group had been formed to draw up a global strategy and plan of action aimed at securing an enhanced and sustainable basis for needs-driven, essential health research and development relevant to diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries.

During the week-long meeting, discussion included a range of areas relating to the proposed global strategy, including ways to identify gaps in research on diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries, setting research priorities in developing countries to address public health needs and implement public health policy and ways to enable more organised co-ordination and sharing of information.

The need for compound libraries to be accessible to identify potential compounds to treat / prevent diseases affecting developing countries was discussed as well as patent laws to increase accessibility. The need for sustainable financing of research and development in developing countries was also considered.

The meeting progressed at a slow, but steady pace. A progress report of the Working Group will be submitted to the WHO Executive Board in February 2007, but the Working Group has until January 2008 to finalise the global strategy and action plan.

IPSF looks forward to following the progress of the Working Group and the IPSF executive is currently looking to form partnerships with other professional organisations through which IPSF members can play an active role in improving access to medicines in developing countries.

An “access to medicines” project is being investigated as a new initiative by IPSF, to fill the gap in contributions to the developing world, now that the Neema Project has ended. Watch this space!

Coming Up…

6th Asia Pacific Scientific Symposium 18th-25th July 2007 www.ku.edu.np/apps2007