Sustainable Vaccine Development – Training Future Leaders

Title: New Vaccine Initiatives toward improving child survival and achieving MDG4

In an initiative to build capacity in developing countries, Novartis Vaccines Academy and Siena University have initiated Master and PhD degree courses in vaccinology, with the objective of training physicians from such countries (18 thus far) in various phases of vaccine development. The goal of sustainable development is being met by graduates who have returned to work in vaccine programs of local government and supranational organizations. The Master in Vaccinology is currently in its second edition and the PhD in vaccinology was just approved by the ministry of Education in Italy and will start its first cycle in 2012. The Academy also hosts different PhD scholarship programs in basic science in partnership with different Italian Universities.