College of Pharmaceutical
Sciences
Andries Koster, Irma Meijerman
Dept. Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht
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College of Pharmaceutical Science: Why?
 September 2001:
 New B.Pharm. and M.Pharm. programmes (3+3 years)
 Research master (2 years): Drug Innovation
 Unable to attract reasonable number research-interested students
through the B.Pharm. Programme
 November 2008:
 Discuss the possibility to design an additional undergraduate
programme (dean, faculty of science and research insitute UIPS)
 Strategic development: discuss with rector magnificus
 May 2009:
 Curriculum committee established
 September 2010: CPS started
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College of Pharmaceutical Science. How?
 A bachelor program in Pharmaceutical
Research: Discovery and development
 Emphasis on the central nervous
system and immune system
 Honours programme
 International, English
 Selective admission
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Research
 More than theoretical knowledge
 Critical attitude
 Creativity
 Formulate a research question,
design a research protocol,
discuss results
 View research in a broader
context
 Present results
 Work in an interdisciplinary team
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Educational format
 Inquiry based learning
 Selected students are expected to be
highly motivated, gifted and talented
 Students will be trained for the
discovery and development of drugs in
a research environment
 Students are expected to cope with the
speed at which new knowledge
becomes available
 Develop high-end learning, fostering students’ interest,
motivation, and higher-order thinking skills
 Attention for self-regulated learning and creativity
 Talented students ask for more speed, less repetition and more
challenges
 Teachers must support students in developing their own personal
understanding of scientific concepts
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Year-1: reversed drug pipeline
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Aalborg model
 10 week courses: 15 ec, 400 sbu
 200 student hours project work,
200 student hours flanking
education (lectures, skills labs,
laboratory work, …..)
 Week 5-6: individual assessment
of theoretical knowledge
 Week 10: final assessment of the
project work, and supplementary
individual testing
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Supportive / general education
Time
Project
Course weeks
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Student projects year 1
 Drug use
 Disease file of a drug used to treat a neurological or immunological
disease (free choice)
 Design and analysis of an experimental protocol (survey, physiological
measurements), including > 50 volunteers
 Drug delivery
 Drug file of a drug used to treat a chronic inflammatory or neurological
disease (choice from long-list)
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Student projects year 1
 Drug target
 Receptor file of a drug target (subject assigned)
 WIKI-page, describing potential treatment(s) of an orphan disease
(free choice)
 Drug molecule
 Design and chemical synthesis of derivatives of the MAO-inhibitor
moclobemide
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From Drug to Molecule
Year 1
Introduction internships:
A ‘day’ at the lab in the different research-groups
Year 2
Neuro-immuno
pharmacology
Analytical methods/
molecular and cellular
techniques, research
skills in general
Year 3
Research project
Drug Discovery
Drug Development
= obligatory
= profile (eg. Medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, immunology, neuroscience, drug
targeting)
= profile - Major
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Selection of students
 Application
 Diploma information
 Motivation letter
 Letter(s) of reference
 Selection procedure
 Writing of an essay (timed)
 Interview
 Selection decision
 Science motivation
 Creativity
 Language capabilities
 2011: 22 students selected (6 with foreign diploma)
 Netherlands, France, Italy, Russia, Scotland, USA, Nigeria
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Selection of teachers
 Teams for courses
 Principal investigator UIPS (70%
research time)
 Experienced instructor (SKO, CEUT)
 Student advisor (master Drug
Innovation)
 Curriculum coordinator
 Cooperative design of course
 Design student projects
 Choose literature
 Design flanking activities: lectures,
lab sessions, practicals
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Training and coaching of teachers
 The talented student (Karin Scager, IVLOS)
 Characteristics of talented students and didactic strategies
 The next generation (Renee Filius, IVLOS)
 Role and possibility of new technologies
 Group dynamics (Allard Gerritsen, VU)
 Working in groups, Belbin roles
 Engaging students through inquiry (Mick Healey, higher
education consultant, Univ. Gloucestershire)
 Principles and effects of inquiry-based learning, implementation
 English (Michael Gould)
 Writing in English; common mistakes and pitfalls
 Integrated in other training workshops
 Multicultural education (Mick Healey)
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Tell me and I will forget
Show me and I will remember
Involve me and I will understand
Step back and I will act
Kung Fuzi (Confucius), 551-479 B.C.
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