LOS ANGELES–A tripartite agreement establishing an academic partnership between Yerevan State Medical University (YSMU) and the University of Southern California (USC) will be signed between the two universities and the USAID-funded Competitive Armenian Private Sector (CAPS) Project on March 29, 2009.
The initiative aims to upgrade and re-align pharmaceutical education curricula to be more responsive to the employer market, offer modern teaching methods and form long-term professional relationships to transfer knowledge from western institutions to those in Armenia. Developing linkages between U.S. and Armenian Universities will help improve the overall quality of pharmaceutical education in Armenia.
In the context of the partnership agreement, Michael Wincor, Associate Dean, Globalization and Continuing Professional Development and Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the USC School of Pharmacy and Medicine, will conduct a needs assessment of the program. This initial visit will entail a review, evaluation of and recommendations on course offerings in the existing Master’s Program in Pharmacy.
“The CAPS Assessment of Skills and Knowledge Needs in the Pharmaceutical Industry has revealed a gap between the skills and knowledge that exist versus what is required within the pharmaceutical sector. It is anticipated that the academic partnership initiative will eventually bridge the knowledge gap and substantially reduce labor migration.” Anush Shahverdyan, CAPS Workforce Development Specialist suggested. YSMU Vice-Rector of Professional and Continuing Education Dr. Gevorg Yaghjyan is sure that the present project will contribute to the development and implementation of the Master’s program in Pharmacy.
