Indonesia is entering a new era of health development. Major\nchallenges remain, ranging from high dependency on imported medicinal\nraw materials, the rise of non-communicable diseases, the need for halal\nhealth products, to the demand for national pharmaceutical industry\nindependence. At the same time, technological developments such as\nartificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and digital health have\nfundamentally altered the global healthcare landscape.<\/p>\n
Amid these changes, a crucial question arises: will pharmacy higher\neducation institutions continue to act solely as educational bodies\nproducing graduates and scientific publications, or will they transform\ninto innovation centres that generate tangible solutions for society?\nThis question becomes increasingly relevant as Universitas Islam\nIndonesia (UII), together with the National Research and Innovation\nAgency (BRIN), formalised a strategic research partnership and\nsimultaneously launched the Centre for the Study of Pharmaceutical\nInnovation and Excellence Development (PUSPIKFAR). This step\ndemonstrates that the future of pharmacy higher education no longer\nfocuses only on knowledge transfer, but on creating real impact through\ninnovation.<\/p>\n
For decades, the measure of a university\u2019s success was often\ndetermined by the number of students, graduates, and scientific\npublications produced. Although these three indicators remain important,\nthe challenges of the era demand a broader role. The university of the\nfuture must be both a producer of knowledge and a generator of\ninnovation. Universities must be able to connect laboratories with\nindustry, research with public policy, and science with societal\nneeds.<\/p>\n
In the context of pharmacy, this transformation is crucial. Pharmacy\nis a field of science situated at the intersection of health,\ntechnology, industry, and community service. Research on natural\nmaterials, drug delivery technology, product safety, pharmaceutical\nservices, and public health literacy has great potential to be\ntranslated into products, services, or policies that directly impact the\nquality of life.<\/p>\n
In many developed countries, universities have evolved into\ninnovation hubs, collaborative centres that bring together academics,\nresearchers, industry, government, and the community to jointly create\ninnovative solutions. In this model, universities do not work in\nisolation. The success of innovation is determined by the ability to\nbuild an ecosystem that allows ideas to develop into products,\ntechnologies, services, or policies that can be utilised by society.<\/p>\n
This concept is known as the Triple Helix model, a synergy between\nuniversities, government, and industry. Currently, this model is even\nevolving into a Quadruple Helix, which places the community as an\nintegral part of the innovation process. Through this approach, pharmacy\nhigher education institutions can become a bridge between public health\nneeds, the research capabilities of academics, and government policy\nsupport.<\/p>\n
The transformation of higher education into an innovation hub\nrequires strong institutional instruments. One such instrument is the\nexistence of a study centre. Previously, many study centres in\nuniversities functioned as forums for academic discussion. However,\ngoing forward, study centres must develop into innovation engines\ncapable of integrating research, services, training, testing, and\ncommunity engagement.<\/p>\n
PUSPIKFAR UII serves as an interesting example of this approach. This\nstudy centre integrates various strengths already possessed by UII\nPharmacy, including a pharmaceutical nanotechnology research centre,\nendophyte research, cell culture, zebrafish, halal research, community\nclinical pharmacy, a health training centre, a drug information service\ncentre, and an ISO 17025 certified testing laboratory. This model\nenables the creation of a complete innovation chain, from the discovery\nof active ingredients, formulation development, and safety testing, to\nimplementation in the community.<\/p>\n
Indonesia aims to become a developed nation by 2045. To achieve this\ngoal, the health sector must be supported by a strong innovation system.\nPharmacy higher education holds a highly strategic position in this\nagenda, not only as a producer of health workers but also as a centre\nfor national health technology development. In the future, fields such\nas nanomedicine, precision medicine, digital health, artificial\nintelligence, halal pharmaceuticals, and drug development based on\nIndonesia\u2019s biodiversity will become arenas of global competition.<\/p>\n
Therefore, pharmacy education must also transform. Curricula need to\nbe more adaptive, integrated with research, oriented towards\nentrepreneurship, and connected with industry. Students should no longer\nbe prepared merely as job seekers, but also as researchers, innovators,\nand job creators.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the success of higher education is measured by the extent\nto which the knowledge developed can improve the quality of life of the\ncommunity, strengthen national health independence, and create added\nvalue for national development. The transformation of pharmacy higher\neducation into an innovation hub is no longer an option, but a\nnecessity. A nation that aspires to be independent in health must have\nuniversities that not only teach science but also produce innovations\nthat change lives.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pharmacy-higher-education-must-transform-into-a-national-health-innovation-hub-1782302007", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }