(Vienna, 4 Feb. 2010) In the next seven years the Medical University of Vienna will be coordinating the EU platform EMTRAIN - with its funding totalling 7.7 million euros - for education and training in pharmaceutical medicine in Europe. MedUni Vienna therefore has a key role in the European "Innovative Medicines Initiative" (IMI) and is enhancing the University's international profile in terms of teaching competence and postgraduate studies.
EMTRAIN - European Medicines Research Training Network (www.emtrain.eu) - is the pan-European platform for information, communication and harmonisation for all IMI JU education and training programmes in the field of medical-pharmaceutical research. Like the IMI JU (Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking; www.imi.europa.eu), EMTRAIN is a public-private partnership of the European Commission and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).
In accordance with the Bologna process, which aims to establish a standardised European Higher Education Area, a platform is now being created under the supervision of Associate Professor Ao. Univ. Prof. Dr. Michael Wolzt (Department of Clinical Pharmacology) which will coordinate masters and PhD studies as well as other specialist programmes for post-doctoral training and further training in the field of pharmaceutical medicine. The scientific and administrative work in the project office at MedUni Vienna is headed by Dr. Ghazaleh Gouya and Mag. Christa Janko.
Wolzt says on the new challenge: "First of all it is a matter of gaining a comprehensive overview of the existing courses and coordinating them. The aim will then be expansion into all EU member states and associated countries. Setting up a virtual »Students' office« is also planned. This contact point will be available for all interested individuals, and the main target groups are students at universities and scientists in academic projects and in the pharmaceutical industry."
Rector Wolfgang Schütz is pleased about the role of MedUni Vienna in this pan-European initiative. He explains: "IMI and EMTRAIN are important European initiatives to strengthen Europe in pharmaceutical research. MedUni Vienna as the biggest medical school in the world is now going to have a leading role in shaping this process."
» www.emtrain.eu
