"Pfizer believes that quality human resources development is the first and primary factor if we want to talk about health biotechnology," said Pfizer Indonesia's policy and public relations director, Bambang Chriswanto, at an online media briefing 'Unveiling Pfizer Biotech Fellowship', accessed from here on Tuesday.
The purpose of the program is to prepare human resources for health biotechnology to reduce the burden on the nation and the public as well as cut the risk of infectious or non-infectious diseases, he explained.
The program will also offer mentorships, bootcamps, scholarships to bachelor's and master's students, aid capacity-building, and allow students to take part in discussions with the global and national research community.
"Bachelor's and master's students who have passed the test will get to share knowledge with international researchers. One of them is from the Multi Resource Clinical Trial and Center of Rhythm and Women's Hospital and Harvard," he remarked.
Executive director of Tenggara Strategics, Riyadi Suparno, said that 11 universities have joined the Pfizer Biotech Fellowship program.
The program has been split into three categories to cater to each level of university education -- undergraduate program for bachelor's students, graduate educated grants for master's students, and training of trainers for lecturers and researchers, he informed.
"The program itself has been started since July where we received submissions from bachelor's students, master's students, as well as lecturers and researchers to participate in the program," he said.
Suparno revealed that the Pfizer Biotech Fellowship will be unveiled on August 12, 2021 and will be followed up with an online seminar entitled 'Strengthening Health Biotechnology Human Resources and Resiliency of National Health System'.
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Translator: Hreeloita Shanti, Fadhli R
Editor: Suharto
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