Mysuru to host 25th Annual National Convention of APTI 2022

Bengaluru, August 30, 2022:

Mysuru beckons high quality pedagogy as it plays host to the 25th Annual National Convention of Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI). The event will be held from September 2 to 4, 2022 at the JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSS AHER) campus which houses the JSS Pharmacy College ranked among the top 8 pharmacy colleges in the country.

APTI 2022 theme, ‘Empowering Academia for Advancing Pharmacy Education’, is apt for the current times. Pharmacy education has undergone a paradigm shift over the last two decades. The increasing number of pharmacy institutions, new programmes and large number of young faculty lays the emphasis that pharmacy educators and policymakers need to play a pivotal role in preparing competent pharmaceutical professionals, said the organisers.

According to Prof. B Suresh, Pro Chancellor, JSS AHER, Mysuru, the theme has been chosen keeping in view to sustain the quality standards of pharmacy education. Going by the large number of institutions and the impact of the Covid pandemic there is a need to work on the academic outcomes for the students to bring them back to track.

Noting that it was symbolic for JSS College of Pharmacy, Mysuru to organise the event because it hosted the first APTI convention in 1995, Dr TM Pramod Kumar, organising chairman and principal JSS Pharmacy College, Mysuru said that it is was an honour to be part of the silver jubilee of the event too.

APTI was set up to promote quality pharmaceutical education for which it facilitated many academic activities. It was given the baton to drive educational reforms to produce professionals who are more equipped and better prepared to meet current, future needs and emerging healthcare challenges. Technology is increasingly accelerating development which is no exception to pharmacy education and its impact was seen during the last two years of the pandemic. Going virtual, use of augmented and virtual reality are now an integral of pharmacy education, added Dr Kumar.

India has over 75,000 to 85,000 pharmacy teachers of which only 14,000 have registered under APTI representing over 2,500 pharmacy colleges. We need to strengthen the in pedagogy pharmacy education, he said.

Prof Hanumanthachar Joshi, principal, Sarada College of Pharmacy pointed out that there was  a dire need to empower the pharmacy fraternity in computer aided drug design (CADD) which is lacking in the syllabus along with the current research trends.

The scope of the conference is to address the educational needs to create competent pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. Particularly this 25th edition, would propel accreditation and ranking for pharmaceutical institutions. In order to strengthen teacher quality and lifelong learning, the way forward would be to adopt technology in pharmacy education. In an age where innovation is the key, APTI will also work to promote research culture, nurture leadership and good governance, he said.

The 3-day APTICON will foster an innovative environment, provide collaborative platform for academicians, researchers, scientists, and students. plenary sessions, panel discussions, and networking to discuss new concepts. We have 2,200 registrations with 1,500 paid delegates which includes staff, students, scientist and industry professionals. There are around 700 posters, 350 oral presentations, over 18 to 20 speakers and oration lectures. It will be platform to award the pharmacy teacher of the year, best principal and lifetime contribution to motivate the younger generation to take up a career in academia.  Pharmabiz