Dr. Saurabh Kumar is the Dean, School of Pharmaceutical Management at IIHM University, Jaipur. He is Ph.D. holder in Pharmaceutical Sciences and M.Pharm. He’s completed his M.B.A. with specialization in Healthcare Services Management. He has more than 16 years of experience in academics. Dr.Saurabh has published/presented several papers on pharmacy/pharma management in international, national journals/conferences. He has guided dissertations of M.Pharm and M.B.A. Pharm Tech students. His areas of interests are Pharma Supply Chain Management, Pharmaceutical Marketing , Rational Use of Medicines and Cold Chain Management of vaccines. Read here what he has to say in his interview.

IIHMR University

How do you plan different activities and programs for students?

“We prepare students for the future”

At IIHMR University, we plan various training and summer internships for the students around the year to be well equipped to face the corporate world from day one. We have designed the first year with summer training for practical training, and in the second year, we have dissertations and field visits to the Pharmaceutical industry and hospitals.

What are the greatest strengths of your department?

“Our strong industry academia forms the greatest strength for the institute”

The School of Pharmaceutical studies faculty caters to Pharmaceutical management's different specialized domains, including Sales and Marketing, Supply chain Management, Regulatory, and Clinical Trial Management. Apart from this, our USP is the strong academia-industry connection. Our pharma alumnus is working in the many reputed MNCs at various distinguished positions.

What strategies do you apply for overall growth of the students in your department?

“We ensure a strong teaching pedagogy at IIHMR University”

Learning is dependent on the pedagogical approaches faculty use in the classroom. In general, the best faculty believe in their students' capacity to learn and carefully utilize a range of pedagogical approaches to ensure this learning occurs. The continuous interactions between teachers, students, and the learning environment provide the best learning space for all. Furthermore, how teachers and students work together in sync and the instructional approaches implemented in the classroom groom students for the future. Individual Development Programme for each student is the key strength of SPM.

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What types of training/internships the students are working on through this program?

“Practical training supports professional studies for students”

The summer training is for 6-8 weeks in the first year, and during the second year, students are supposed to go for a dissertation for three months. Practical training aims to help students develop skills and abilities that support professional studies and prepare them for work later. Employers also benefit as the students bring the latest know-how from each respective field of learning with them. The training imparted to the students vary in various domains related to the core pharma industry, competitive pharma organizations, government organizations, health, and hospital-related organizations.

How do you train yourself or the faculty to deliver this program to the students?

“Faculty keep themselves updated to the current trends of the industry”

The faculty keep themselves updated by the latest development in the industry and academia. They keep themselves abreast with the pharmaceutical industry trends through case studies, by attending various Faculty Development Programs, and attending numerous conferences and workshops at the national and international level.

What are some challenges faced by you in the field of Pharmaceutical Management?

“Students lack professional skills”

The biggest challenge that we face as faculty is that the students come with a pure Pharma background. Through the academic program of 2 years at IIHMR, we try to develop managerial and business competencies in the students required in the corporate world. This program equips our students with the essential managerial and professional skills giving an insight into the practical aspect of pharmaceutical management and sets them apart as a successful manager and leader in this globally active sector.

Please share your thoughts on the future scope in Pharmaceutical Management for students?

“There are vast opportunities for a student pursuing MBA in pharmaceutical management”

The type of disease burden faced globally is complicated, and the industry expects a high level of competency to deal with it. An MBA in pharmaceutical management has vast opportunities in the future. A deep understanding and insight into the disease burden and new business models will sharpen the business, management, and leadership skills of a student and prepare them to be successful management professionals in the pharma industry. The pharmaceutical marketplace is undergoing massive changes, and these changes will have a significant bearing on the kind of business models’ pharmaceutical companies need to employ. We have the vision to create the future generation leaders for the pharma industry.

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What goals do you have for your department for the next 5 years?

“Adaptation to the current trends is the key to move forward”

We want to prepare students to grab the leadership position in the Pharmaceutical / Blockchain / Data analytics / Medical devices / Biosimilars / Biotechnology / Diagnostic / Supply chain from the day they pass out from this prestigious university. The pharma organizations require effectively managing the various technical and managerial aspects related to the environment prevailing in and around the pharma industry. It becomes more crucial in a pharma industry where the climate is continuously changing and is confronted with numerous challenges. We at IIHMR University equip the students with these skills so that they can lead the organization.