Cipla's Dr Yusuf Hamied donates Rs 8 cr for chemistry education initiative

Dr Yusuf Hamied, Chairman of Cipla Ltd, has donated Rs 8 crore to the UK-based Royal Society of Chemistry to support an innovative chemistry education programme for school students in India, especially those from less-advantaged backgrounds. The donation from Dr Hamied, who has pioneered the model of producing affordable medicines for patients in developing countries, will support the Royal Society of Chemistry Hamied Inspirational Chemistry Programme.
 
The programme will be managed by the Royal Society of Chemistry in partnership with the UK's Salters Institute and leading Indian academic institutes to enhance the skills and knowledge of Indian chemistry teachers and inspire school students to study chemistry at university. Over the next five years, the programme aims to equip 8,000 teachers across India with the specialist knowledge and skills to deliver exciting and engaging chemistry lessons, and to pass this knowledge on to their colleagues. In addition, it intends to provide 1,600 of the brightest chemistry students from all backgrounds with places at Chemistry Camps to motivate them to reach the necessary standards to study chemistry at university.    
 
Dr Hamied said, “To inspire the next generation of great Indian scientists we must equip our teachers with the specialist knowledge and practical skills they need to show their students that chemistry is a fascinating and stimulating subject that has many important applications in modern life. I am very pleased to be working in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry to support the Hamied Inspirational Chemistry Programme. I believe the programme will make a real difference to the education and experience of students studying chemistry in schools all across India.”
 
Dr Robert Parker, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said, “We are delighted to be working with Dr Hamied and grateful for his generous donation to enable us to bring together leading organisations from the UK and India to deliver this education programme and make a real impact.”
 
Dr Simon Campbell, former president of the Royal Society of Chemistry and personal friend of Dr Hamied, said, “Yusuf has consistently demonstrated his driven ambition to make a positive impact on quality of life, and this unique programme is a significant educational investment with great potential to train the skilled chemists that will be vital for India's growth and social wellbeing.”