Faculty Development Program at Amrita School of Pharmacy on Practice School–I and Research Project Implementation

The Faculty Development Program (FDP) on Practice School–I and Research Project: Implementation Strategy and Manual Development was conducted from 7th to 10th December 2025 at Amrita School of Pharmacy as a focused academic initiative aimed at strengthening faculty preparedness for implementing the revised B.Pharm syllabus. The program was jointly organized by the Higher Education Skill Development and Research Centre (HESDARC), Mysuru, and the Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, with academic support and endorsement from the College of Pharmacy, University of Findlay, Ohio, USA.

The program commenced with an online introductory session on 7th December 2025 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., during which the objectives, structure, and expected outcomes of the FDP were outlined. The formal inauguration of the FDP was carried out by Mr. Aju Mohan, Manager (Production), Kerala State Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd., who emphasized the importance of industry–academia collaboration and the need for practice-oriented training to prepare pharmacy graduates for real-world professional challenges. His address highlighted the relevance of experiential learning modules such as Practice School–I in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and industrial and clinical practice.

The main FDP sessions were conducted from 8th to 10th December 2025, each day running from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The program was led by eminent resource persons, including Dr. Bahubali G. Nagavi, Founder and CEO of HESDARC, Mysuru, and Dr. Jayasekhar P., President IPA-Kerala State Branch and former Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Oman University, Muscat, and former Professor at the College of Pharmacy, Thiruvananthapuram. Their sessions provided in-depth insights into the philosophy, structure, and execution of Practice School–I and the Research Project as envisaged in the revised B.Pharm syllabus.

Detailed deliberations were held on the implementation strategies for Practice School–I, covering identification of suitable practice sites, faculty mentorship, student orientation, learning outcomes, documentation, and continuous assessment methods. Parallel sessions focused on the Research Project component, addressing project planning, problem identification, supervision strategies, ethical considerations, evaluation rubrics, and student performance assessment. A significant emphasis was placed on the development of standardized manuals to ensure consistency, transparency, and quality in implementation and evaluation across departments.

The FDP concluded with an evaluation and feedback session on 10th December 2025, enabling reflection on learning outcomes and reinforcing key concepts discussed during the program. Overall, the FDP effectively enhanced faculty competence in managing experiential and research-based components of the B.Pharm curriculum, strengthened institutional readiness for PS implementation, and contributed meaningfully to improving the quality and relevance of pharmacy education.