On October 16, 2023, Gulf Medical University signed a memorandum of understanding with AbbVie Pharmaceuticals represented by Dr. Hassan Sabbah, General Manager, Gulf-Levant; Dr. Sherif Farid Hammad, Brand Manager, Oncology & HCV, Gulf; and Ms. Roula Haddad, HR Leader, Gulf-Levant.
The delegation was welcomed by Prof. Sherief Khalifa, Dean of the College of Pharmacy and Vice Chancellor for Quality and Institutional Effectiveness; Dr. Muhammad Al-Shorbagy, Associate Dean Academics; and Dr. Muhammed Abdullatif, Director, Student Happiness Center. The discussions centered around elective APPE training for PharmD students, internships for PharmD graduates, fellowships for AbbVie’s pharmacists and research collaborations.
The highlight of the visit was a signing ceremony by Prof. Hossam Hamdy, Chancellor of Gulf Medical University. He underscored the importance of partnerships between industry and academia in advancing the medical professions and in serving the society.
The ceremony was followed by a tour of GMU state of the art research facilities including the Drug Discovery & Development research lab at the College of Pharmacy and the Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine (TRIPM).
Dean Sherief Khalifa commented: “GMU partnership with AbbVie brings endless opportunities for collaboration in advancing pharmacy education and creating opportunities for the future generation who will be in charge of health care delivery in the UAE and the region. Collaboration in outcomes research, pharmacoeconomics and cancer immunology is another domain for collaboration and synergy.”
