(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pfizer today announced a partnership with Fudan University to establish a graduate program in Clinical Data Management and Statistical Programming. This three year Masters Degree program, a first of its kind in China, is designed to develop qualified professionals to support clinical research which is rapidly increasing in China.

“Pfizer is committed to creating and expanding our partnerships in China,” said Jeff Kindler, chief executive officer of Pfizer. “We believe that making a commitment to both research and training is the most effective way to foster development in China’s pharmaceutical industry. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to improve the lives of Chinese citizens by increasing access to new and effective medicines.”

The first group of students, who will begin classes in September this year, will study data management and statistical programming. Future students will also be trained in biostatistics, clinical sciences, clinical project management and pharmacovigilence (the monitoring and reporting of adverse effects of medicines.)

“This novel industry-academic collaboration features a faculty that includes Fudan professors and experts from Pfizer’s Global Research and Development network and offers students the opportunity to work on real live projects from Pfizer’s drug development portfolio,” said Dr Lingshi Tan, general manager of Pfizer (China) Research and Development Center. “This program will have a major impact on the life sciences sector in China and demonstrate Pfizer's long-term and high-quality commitments to the development of China's pharmaceutical industry, in line with the Chinese government’s drug innovation initiatives.”

This partnership is the latest in a series of initiatives Pfizer has been undertaking to enhance collaboration in the biotechnology area in China. The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Education, Pudong New Area of Shanghai Municipality, Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and Fudan University.

“This is the beginning of a long term Pfizer-Fudan University joint education plan to establish a ‘Pfizer-Fudan Drug Research and Development Education Center’ at Fudan University,” said Professor Shaode Qin, Chancellor of Fudan University.

Al Gabor, Regional President for Pfizer’s North Asia, India, Pakistan, and Thailand region said, “This partnership program extends Pfizer’s commitment to improving health care for Chinese citizens by increasing the capabilities of China’s health care professionals. Furthermore, the tremendous growth in biomedical knowledge in Asia over the past few years and the increasingly sophisticated science infrastructure throughout the region make these programs a critical part of Pfizer’s R&D strategy in Asia.

ABOUT PFIZER CHINA

Founded in 1849, Pfizer is the world's premier biopharmaceutical company taking new approaches to better health. We discover, develop, manufacture and deliver quality, safe and effective prescription medicines to treat and help prevent disease for both people and animals. We also partner with healthcare providers, governments and local communities around the world to expand access to our medicines and to provide better quality health care and health system support. At Pfizer, colleagues in more than 90 countries work every day to help people stay happier and healthier longer and to reduce the human and economic burden of disease worldwide.

In China, our mission is to meet the diverse medical needs of the country’s 1.3 billion population in an innovative, socially responsible and commercially viable manner. We offer a broad portfolio of innovative medicines, actively partnering with healthcare providers, academics, and authorities to serve Chinese patients and to support the rapid development of the country’s healthcare system.

Pfizer began its business operations in China in the 1980’s and is now one of the largest multinational pharmaceutical enterprises in the country, with a presence in over 170 cities nationwide and a total staff over 4,000. We have four state-of-the-art plants in Dalian, Suzhou, and Wuxi, and a management center in Beijing.

In Shanghai, our Pfizer China Research and Development Center has become an integral component of Pfizer’s worldwide pharmaceutical development program. It also works alongside Chinese partners to develop the skills and talents of local scientists, biostatisticians, medical professionals, pharmacists, and others with expertise in life sciences. The Center collaborates with leading academic researchers and top institutes in China -4- including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, and multiple institutes of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Pfizer has also established long-term partnerships with leading Contract Research Organizations in China such as Wuxi Pharmatech. By working with these partners, Pfizer strives to create an environment that will nurture research and innovative drug development in China.

For more information on Pfizer China, please visit http://www.pfizer.com.cn

ABOUT FUDAN UNIVERSITY

Initially known as "Fudan Public School", Fudan University was founded in the year 1905 and it consists of 29 schools and departments, with seventy undergraduate disciplines. The University confers bachelor's degrees in seventy academic disciplines, and master's degrees in two hundred and twenty five disciplines and doctoral degrees in twenty-four Level I and one hundred and fifty-three Level II academic disciplines. The goal of Fudan University is to cultivate more and more all-round talents for modern China. Emulating the other successful institutions of tertiary and quaternary education at home and abroad, the University has been carrying out a series of experiments to integrate the various disciplines of learning and to utilize the abundant resources of a comprehensive university. After years of exploring and practicing, Fudan University has now established its own curriculum and management system, both of which are unique and progressively improving. Fudan University also houses high-tech industries and encourages them to convert knowledge to power.