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

BACKGROUND

The Mekong Pharma Network programme was established based on the needs expressed by the four universities to promote knowledge-sharing in drug sciences to benefit educators, students and general populations.

The Mekong Pharma Network programme helps make the Southeast Asian medication supply chain more secure by promoting the continuing education of educators from partner universities and faculties

Mekong Pharma Network facilitation tools

The Mekong Pharma Network benefits from a number of tools, broadening interactions between educators:

• Specialised training in Asia and France with presentations by academics and industrial experts;
• Development of collaborative inter-university research projects;  
• Funding for research grants to allow researchers long-term visitation opportunities in international laboratories.

Distance learning

The Mekong Pharma Network programme was launched prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiatives that were originally planned had to be adapted to the health constraints that made trade between France and Asia and between Asian countries impossible. Seminars and meetings are now held by videoconference and distance-learning solutions have been pursued.

With the support of the Fondation Pierre Fabre and the expertise of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, the partner universities therefore decided to set up distance-learning platforms (using the “Moodle” tool) at each of the four universities. Training for administrators and engineers in using the computer tools and training for educators in use of the software began in Hanoi in December 2020 at two workshops. The workshops for training educators in “Moodle” will continue in 2021 at each of the four universities. The seminars in pharmaceutical sciences will take the form of videoconferences and video media.