The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Niper), Hyderabad, is networking with other six other Nipers in the country to help students find better placement in a reciprocal arrangement.
For instance, Niper-H offers MS programme with focus on medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and pharmaceutical analysis while the other Nipers offer different optionals. The networking would, thus, help students find a relevant job in any of the cities including Gujarat, Bihar, Lucknow, Rae Bareli where Nipers are located, said Niper-H, project director Ahmad Kamal.
The decision was taken at a recent placement committee meeting at the behest of Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.
The institute in Hyderabad, set up two years ago, has been declared as an institute of national importance. It is renovating the premises and adding new facilities, particularly laboratory space, at a cost of Rs 5 crore.
According to Kamal, it would have new equipment to handle various research projects in medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical analysis. The new facilities would be ready before the new batch joins in July for the MS course.
The institute depends on central funds and has sought Rs 12 crore from this year. “We will be in a position to generate revenues when our industrial collaborations start yielding results,” he said, adding the focus now was on building up the infrastructure. It is negotiating with the industry for projects relating to drug discovery, stabilisation studies and impurity profiling and evaluation of molecules in animal models. Discussion are also on to get industrial support for the projects.
Niper-H would recruit about 10 faculty trained in academics as well as in the pharma industry in a month when the third batch of students takes admission. “We will look at contract research opportunities once we have full infrastructure in place,” he said
Some of the first batch of students got placed with companies like GVK Biosciences, Suven Life Sciences and Perrigo. About five more companies would visit the campus this week for placements. “The market was tough this year in view of the slowdown,” he said. On an average, the annual salaries was in the range of Rs 3 to Rs 5 lakh.
The institute would also start PhD programmes from January 2010. Also, the process for finding a full time directors for the new Nipers has been initiated and it might take about six months for the formalities to be completed.
