Faculty Development Program on Innovative Pedagogies and Emerging Trends in Pharmaceutical Research and Education: From Experimential learning to Drug Development

Chandigarh College of Pharmacy, Landran has organized a 5-day Faculty Development Program (FDP) entitled “Innovative Pedagogies and Emerging Trends in Pharmaceutical Research and Education: From experimental learning to drug development” from 19th May 2025-23rd May 2025. The session was inaugurated by Director Principal, Dr. Rupinder Kaur Sodhi where she addressed the guests, faculty members and gave an interesting insight on Research based innovative methodologies and teaching pedagogies. The expert speaker for the first day of FDP was Dr. Ravi Goyal, Associate Director, IQVIA Bangalore. He addressed the faculty members and gave an engaging perspective on the topic “Digital transformation: Impact and implications in the Pharmaceutical Industry”. He emphasized how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, and automation are reshaping various aspects of pharmaceutical operations from drug discovery, clinical trials to regulatory compliance and patient engagement. The successive session was honored by Dr. Neha Sharma, Dean Research, CGC RISE, on “Government Funding Agencies and Research Landscape in Academia”. She elaborated on the types of grants offered by these agencies, eligibility criteria, and the application processes, while also sharing valuable tips on how to craft competitive research proposals.

During the second day of the event, Dr. Ajay Parkash, PGIMER, Chandigarh delivered a thorough presentation on “Clinical Research in Drug Development: Policy and regulations”. He emphasized the significance of good clinical practices and new drug development process and regulations. This was followed by a session by Dr. Anil Chauhan from PGIMER, Chandigarh, focused on systematic reviews and meta-analysis. The session also covered narrative reviews, quality assessment, and the principles of evidence-based medicine. Post-lunch, there was an engaging lecture by Dr. Deepak B. Salunke from NIPER on the topic 'Why Are We Learning Chemistry,' which included coding examples for teaching-learning videos and a discussion on the role of new-generation adjuvants in vaccine development.

On the third day, Dr.Rahul Taneja, Scientist, Directotrate of Science and Technology, Govt.of Haryana delivered the lecture on “Intellectual Property Rights”. He discussed the fundamental concepts of IPR with a focus on patents, emphasizing the importance of novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability as key criteria for patentability. Afterwards,Dr. Rajat Sandhir, Professor, Punjab University delivered an insightful session on “Zebra fish model: An Attractive Model System for Studying Neurodegeneration”. The session emphasized the significance of using zebrafish model in neuroscience research to investigate the mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders and to evaluate potential therapeutic interventions. It was followed by address by Dr. P.K. Tulsi, Ex-Professor, NITTTR, Chandigarh delivered a detailed and educational lecture on “Systematic approach to designing and offering MOOCs”. The session covered key topics such as the National Education Policy, e-learning, online education, the SWAYAM platform, and various models of instructional design.

On the fourth day, Mr. Hitesh Kumar Gulati, (Human Capital Transformation & Change Management Consultant, Chandigarh) delivered the lecture on “Team building and professional Ethics”. His session emphasized the importance of collaboration, trust, and effective communication within teams, as well as the critical role of ethical conduct in professional environments. He shared practical strategies, real-world examples, and interactive activities to help participants understand how strong ethical values and cohesive teamwork contribute to organizational success and personal growth.

On the 5th day, last day, Professor, Dr Suresh Kumar Sharma, Panjab University, Chandigarh gave a very informative and knowledgeable lecture on “Research methodology and statistical tools”. His session provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles of research design, data collection methods, hypothesis formulation, and the application of appropriate statistical techniques in analyzing research data.

At the end of the day, HOD, Prof. Dr Supriya Agnihotri, concluded the event by appreciating the insightful contributions of all speakers and highlighting the impact of the program on enhancing faculty capabilities. At the end of Faculty Development Programme, the guests handed over certificates to all the participants. It was a great learning experience for all the faculty members and the event ended successfully.