UCC-FUE Summer Program
The Egyptian Ambassador to Ireland, Soha Gendi, visited UCC to mark the completion of the School of Pharmacy's first Clinical Pharmacy Summer School, organised in association with Future University in Egypt (FUE).
UCC and FUE have an existing cooperation agreement whereby UCC supports the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Industries, FUE, in the delivery of an enhanced Pharmacy degree programme by FUE in Cairo.
The cooperation agreement, signed in 2014, was considered a first step leading to an improved international standing of FUE’s pharmacy degree programme, particularly in the areas of clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice. As an extension of this cooperation agreement, and with a view to further enhancing internationalisation activities at both universities, the School of Pharmacy (UCC) has designed an intensive two-week Summer School in Clinical Pharmacy.
The Summer School, delivered by academic staff in the School of Pharmacy and providing specialist lectures and training in Clinical Pharmacy, saw 20 undergraduate pharmacy students from FUE travel to UCC to partake in this programme. They studied a range of topics related to the practice of clinical pharmacy, including cardiology, diabetes and respiratory diseases and visited Cork’s Mercy University Hospital and local community pharmacies experience pharmacy practice in Ireland.
Students were accompanied by academic staff from FUE including Prof Ebtissam Darweesh, Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at FUE. During the 2 weeks, staff from FUE and UCC discussed ongoing collaborations in research and teaching between FUE and UCC.
Speaking at the opening of the Summer School, Professor Caroline Fennell, Senior Vice President Academic and Registrar, UCC, highlighted to students the immense learning opportunities that attendance would offer, not only on the advanced academic content provided through the programme, but also the experience that would be gained as an international student travelling to attend this course at UCC.
Professor Stephen Byrne, Head of School of Pharmacy, UCC, said “the Clinical Pharmacy Summer School represents the next step in extending the internationalisation activities available at School of Pharmacy UCC.
“An intensive education and training programme was delivered by academic staff within the School, led by Dr Margaret Bermingham, Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy, UCC. The content of the course was highly relevant to the practice of Pharmacy both in Ireland and Egypt and classes remained interactive, taking the form of small seminar groups and encouraging a student-centred learning approach.”