Rehabilitation of the Vientiane Faculty of Pharmacy

— Laos —

BACKGROUND

Since the late 1980s, Laos has gradually opened up to the world and modernised. Nevertheless, its public health and education needs were still substantial when it sought the help in 2004 of Fondation Pierre Fabre: its human development index had it ranked 133rd out of 177 countries.

Impressed by the Foundation’s work in Cambodia, the Laotian government – and, more specifically, the Minister of Health, Dr Pomnek Dalaloy – asked it to support the country’s development by rehabilitating the Vientiane Faculty of Pharmacy. The school did indeed lack proper premises, scientific equipment and qualified teachers. Nothing was in place that would be conducive to a quality educational experience. An initial partnership agreement was signed on 10 May 2005 and the Foundation embarked on the project with a threefold challenge before it: to fully satisfy the request, but, more importantly, to rally local youth around this renaissance and give the institution wings to fly on its own.

It subsidised renovation of various buildings that officially opened in 2008: 900m² of offices, labs and lecture rooms, a library, and more. At the same time, aided by the expertise of Professor Jean Cros, the Foundation audited the educational content, establisehd dialogue with local teachers, and forged a partnership with French universities to improve the curriculum: laboratory exercises were developed and the syllabi of the major disciplines were revamped. Lastly, the Foundation financed and organised teachings assignments from France, mainly to train trainers and in close partnership with the French government (Coopération française).

Today, the Vientiane Faculty has demonstrated its great value. It has been, for example, an integral element of the Master Mekong Pharma since 2012 and, in 2014, it welcomed the students of the third Master’s programme. Fondation Pierre Fabre nonetheless continues to support its development by granting scholarships, funding initial training, as well as hosting a joint laboratory shared by the Paul Sabatier University (Toulouse III) and the IRD (Institut de recherche pour le développement). All this means excellent Laotian candidates can pursue the Master’s and more drug specialists can be trained to meet Laos’ public health needs.

KEY FACTS
_____

Priority
Training of drugs specialists

Programme
Since 2005

Type of involvement
Distributor and operator

Objectives

  • Funding of academic scholarships (Master’s and PhD)
  • Purchasing of scientific and educational material
  • Development of academic activities

THE LATEST PROGRESS
_____

Organisation of the first National Pharmacy Conference in Laos
(147 participants)

Skill development and transfer
9 training workshops led by lecturers with a PhD to their colleagues; 10 lecturers were sent to Thailand for training

Delivery of reagents, consumables and equipment

Faculté de Pharmacie de Vientiane
Mahosot Road
PO Box 7444
VIENTIANE
LAOS
www.uhs.edu.la

The relationship between Laotian and French academics that we’ve enjoyed for ten years, at the initiative and with the support of Fondation Pierre Fabre, has resulted in a true rebirth of the Vientiane Faculty of Pharmacy. For me, they serve as a superb example of the benefits of collaboration. Especially since the initial conditions would not have allowed us to even hope for such an outcome.”

 

Pr Françoise Nepveu
PHARMA-DEV, UMR 152 IRD-UPS, Faculty of Pharmacy University of Paul Sabatier, Toulouse

ACHIEVEMENTS AND FUTURE INITIATIVES

Achievements

45
students graduate every year from the Faculty of Pharmacy in Vientiane.

5
 teachers preparing a PhD

3
Laotian graduates of the first Master Mekong Pharma class began teaching at the Laos University of Health Sciences in 2014

Future initiatives

A new plan to support the development of the Faculty of Pharmacy is being implemented for the period 2017-2021. It provides support for the training of young teachers through internships or Master or PhD degrees at Khon Kaen University in Thailand and equipment for students.

See also

Creation of the Master Mekong Pharma

To increase the number of drug specialists in Southeast Asia, Fondation Pierre Fabre created the Master Mekong Pharma, a Masters of Pharmaceutical Sciences programme. The first class was recruited in 2012.

27/07/2018

See also

Mekong Pharma Network: an expanded university structure for educators in pharmaceutical sciences

Following on from the Master Mekong Pharma programme (2012-2019), from which 133 Asian students graduated with a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences and which facilitated creation of a network of academics between Asia and France, the Fondation Pierre Fabre was eager to maintain and expand the connections between the four partner universities in Vietnam (HUP-Hanoi, UMP-HCMC), Cambodia (UHSC-Phnom Penh) and Laos (UHSL-Vientiane).

16/03/2021

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