BY DA N I E L P. S M I T H
All the way CHICAGO
UIC continues to strengthen and evolve longstanding Though the UIC College of Pharmacy sits more than 5,000 miles away from Malta, the Chicago institution continues having a major impact on pharmacy in the island nation surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. Over the last decade, UIC has helped the University of Malta, the premier university in the European nation, launch its Doctor of Pharmacy program, initiated training programs for both faculty and students, collaborated on research projects, and expanded the University of Malta’s international network. “Being involved with the University of Malta is mutually beneficial,” says Dr. Alan Lau, professor emeritus and director of International Clinical Pharmacy Education at UIC. “It has expanded and strengthened our network of international collaborations and opened new doors for improved pharmacy education, research, and practice at both institutions as well as our partners.” Most notably, UIC assisted the European university in preparing the launch of its PhD-level Doctor of Pharmacy program in 2014. UIC arranged course contents, shared teaching materials and resources, and helped its Maltese partners define parameters for the new program. In the subsequent six years, UIC has remained a supportive, engaged partner. UIC faculty have led online discussion sessions and shared recorded lectures during the Malta program’s mostly didactic first year before hosting second- and third-year students at UIC for short-term clinical rotations. According to Dr. Lilian M. Azzopardi, head of the University of Malta’s Department of Pharmacy, UIC’s assistance has spurred her department to advance pharmacy
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| pharmalumni.uic.edu |
SPRING 2020
knowledge, practice, and research for 76 students from 18 different countries. “[The UIC College of Pharmacy has provided] its distinctive characteristic of using proven excellence in pharmacy health systems as a platform to intensify knowledge, people-centered practice and nurture innovation through practice research,” says Azzopardi, the current president of the European Association of Faculties of Pharmacy.
UIC’s active relationship with the University of Malta characterizes the Chicago school’s mission to . . . positively influence how pharmacy is practiced around the world. Beyond its efforts with the University of Malta’s Doctor of Pharmacy degree program, UIC faculty have also visited the island to teach students directly, supported doctorate-program research, developed training programs for practice-focused faculty members, and introduced University of Malta pharmacy personnel to UIC’s other international partners scattered around the globe. These efforts have contributed to a more robust academic environment at the University of Malta and enabled the university’s students and alumni to design
