A new network to advance research, training and curriculum development in pharmacy education in the Western Pacific is launched today: the FIP-UNESCO UNITWIN Centre for Excellence in the Western Pacific region. The centre, a development of FIP’s partnership with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) concerning the UNITWIN Network on Global Pharmacy Education Development, aims to promote an integrated system of pharmacy research, teaching and training, and community engagement and communication.

Five universities from four of the 28 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific region (Australia, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore) are founding members. FIP plans to have centres of excellence in every WHO world region by the end of this year.

“I am thrilled that we are establishing this centre for excellence today. Our goal is to improve the standard of pharmaceutical and pharmacy education across our diverse region through excellence, collaboration and innovation. I am confident that with motivation, hard work and the joint support of FIP and UNESCO, we will make a lasting difference to the health of our patients from the Western Pacific Ocean to the South China Sea,” said Prof. Paul John Gallagher of the National University of Singapore, and lead of the new centre.

Institutions in the region can express interest in joining the centre by emailing education@fip.org.