The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) welcomed 22 new students to the College as the MSc in Industrial Pharmaceutical Science (MIPS) group registered on Friday, 11 January.

The students were addressed and welcomed by Professor Kevin Nolan, Head of School of Postgraduate Studies, RCSI and were then given an induction to the MIPS course by the programme director, Dr Zeibun Ramtoola.

The pharmaceutical industry is a key sector in the Irish and European Economy and accounts for over 50% of Ireland's exports. In Ireland, the sector employs over 25,000 people directly. The sustainability of this sector relies on the on-going availability of a talented pool of Pharmaceutical Scientists with the necessary tertiary educational formation, skill-set and professional experience to undertake the various key roles within pharmaceutical manufacture and regulation. This course meets the educational requirements for ‘Qualified Person' status, a role specified in European Union legislation and unique to European Pharmaceutical Manufacture.

The MSc in Industrial Pharmaceutical Science course is run over two years, primarily online, and is suitable for candidates wishing to undergo further training and improve their knowledge of and gain further skills in the pharmaceutical sciences. The course, jointly offered between RCSI and the School of Science at the Institute of Technology Sligo, was launched in response to the needs of the pharmaceutical healthcare sector in Ireland. In recent years, the course has attracted students from outside Ireland including UK, Europe, Africa and Australia.