Continuous improvement of theoretical knowledge is essential, and the best way to do this is to gain experience and learn during internships - says Dr. Kristóf Kóczián, pharmacist-economist, head of the Neuropsychiatry branch at Gedeon Richter Plc. In the frame of the UP Faculty of Pharmacy's Partner Day in May, we asked him about industry skills, the ubiquitous business mindset, and why it is essential to strengthen the value of your degree with practical opportunities during your university years.
The UP GYTK Partner Day was held on 15 May in the frame of the Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions-UP Innovation Days. The aim of the event, held for the third time so far, is to create a platform where representatives from the academic sphere, industry, hospitals, public pharmacies, professional organisations, and experts from all related fields can share their experiences and development proposals on critical issues affecting the profession, research, and education.
“Nearly 100 people attended the event, valuable contacts were established, and constructive dialogue occurred. The representatives of the public and hospital pharmaceutical sectors, the pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical wholesalers, the pharmaceutical supply value chain, the biotechnology sector, professional organisations, as well as those of the Faculty of Pharmacy and the partner universities were present” - said Dr. Szilárd Pál, Vice-Dean for Organisational Development and Relations, senior lecturer at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Pécs.
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“During the Partner Day, we presented the 2023-2030 strategy of the UP GYTK and discussed the vision of the profession and the development opportunities of the students’ professional practice in the frame of panel discussions. Our cooperation with the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office was renewed solemnly, and several B2B meetings and personal consultations were held thanks to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Pécs-Baranya,” he added.
Internships that may lead to a full-time job
Gedeon Richter Plc. also took part in the UP GYTK Partner Day. The well-established pharmaceutical company and the University of Pécs have cooperated for decades in several fields. For 18 years, Richter has been launching calls for proposals for Hungarian basic research players along its strategic lines (central nervous system research, gynecology, biotechnology) and has so far concluded eight research and development (R&D) contracts with UP, with several promising proposals being submitted to Richter from the university this year.
The company’s innovation ecosystem development is also worth mentioning, as it aims to support national research related to Richter’s strategic goals on an open innovation basis and in an organizer role. In this frame, the company is setting up innovation networks in various fields of central nervous system and reproductive research, with 11 partners and 22 research groups having joined this initiative to date. The different research groups of the University of Pécs play a very active role in these networks.
Richter Gedeon Plc., with a century-long history, is the country’s leading large company and the region’s most significant multidisciplinary knowledge center based on elite expertise, as well as its innovation base. The key elements of the company’s strategy are research and development, which creates high intellectual added value, a multi-disciplinary approach, long-term planning, and quality orientation. The company sees itself as a member of an innovative intellectual ecosystem that thrives when there is a proper flow of information between the company and the universities.
In this spirit, Richter hires around ten pharmacy students a year for summer internships in various fields (synthetic chemistry, pharmacology, pharmaceutical technology, analytics, pharmacokinetics, pellet manufacturing, industrial property rights, quality management, etc.). The students perform various tasks in the laboratories, such as researching literature and tasks related to patents and quality control, and, in many cases, graduates are offered full-time positions, but there are also several junior positions where previous work experience is an advantage.
During the summer internship, students can visit other laboratories and factories, use the gym, swimming pool, and sauna, and participate in the company’s topical programs. At Richter, they can gain real experience because they will work with colleagues committed to professionally preparing the students. On the last day, they are informed about how to find a job at Richter and what the Richter way of life is like. It is also important to mention that since September 2011, Richter has been supporting the doctoral training of 3 PhD students per year through scholarships through a strategic cooperation agreement with the Richter Gedeon Talentum Foundation, established by the company.
Essential practical learning and a business perspective - where pharmacy meets the economic sphere
“In our ever-changing world, there is a need for continuous improvement of what we have learned in theory, and the learning-by-doing method is the best way to do this. This can be achieved through internships and work opportunities, which can be pursued in parallel with studies. These help ensure that the graduating student is not seen as a candidate without any experience but already has some practical knowledge as well,” said Dr. Kristóf Kóczián, pharmacist-economist, Head of the CNS division at Gedeon Richter Plc.
He pointed out that, in addition to lexical knowledge, it is increasingly important to develop key skills essential in most jobs.
According to the head of the division, more and more jobs can be filled with various degrees, meaning that soft skills are becoming increasingly valuable. In addition, a high level of English knowledge is not a surprising requirement in 2024, and presentation skills are also very important.
It is not a disadvantage if a pharmacist also understands economics
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Trendként beszélhetünk arról, hogy szinte minden szektorban, az iparban pedig hangsúlyozottan megjelenik a gazdasági, üzleti szemlélet. Kóczián Kristóf szerint mindennek profán oka van: majdnem minden egyedi döntésünknek van üzleti kihatása is. Emiatt is fontos, hogy már az egyetemi évek alatt elsajátítsák a hallgatók az alapvető pénzügyi ismereteket, amire alapozva meg tudják például érteni, hogyan néz ki egy üzleti terv, és mi a szerepük a megvalósításában.
There is a trend towards an economic, business approach in almost all sectors, and it is particularly true for the pharmaceutical industry. According to Kristóf Kóczián, there is a profane reason: virtually every individual decision we make also has a business impact. This is why students need to acquire basic financial knowledge during their university years to understand, for example, what a business plan looks like and what their role is in implementing it.
(This philosophy is also shared by the UP Faculty of Pharmacy. In 2019, in cooperation with the UP Faculty of Business and Economics, they created a unique national training program through which pharmacy students in Pécs can acquire the economic, financial, and marketing knowledge vital in today’s world for the success of their future business. The program, called "Business Skills for Pharmacy Students," which runs in parallel with the pharmacy training, is also a stepping stone for those who wish to deepen their knowledge in the business master’s program. – Editor’s note.)
“The pharmacy degree is very multidisciplinary, so it is a good basis for getting a job in various fields, but in many cases, you must cooperate with economists and financial specialists. Therefore, you need to understand the language of the latter, especially if you have management ambitions,” emphasizes Kristóf Kóczián, who, in addition to his PhD in pharmaceutical chemistry, is also a quality assurance specialist pharmacist, having worked in business development in various expert and managerial global positions from the beginning.
“Richter currently employs more than 200 pharmacists, more than 20 of whom also hold a second degree in economics. However, this is not true the other way around: few economists have a second degree in pharmacy. The lesson here is not that they have made the right choice and, therefore, no longer need to study further but that a pharmacist has a depth of knowledge that cannot be acquired in a few semesters. A pharmacist-economist combination or an MBA training, for example, gives you a level of knowledge besides the pharmacist’s degree that can serve as a strong basis even for senior management positions,” he added.
Photo:
UnivPécs