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RAMAIAH

College of Arts, Science

& Commerce

INDUSTRY-ACADEMIA COLLABORATIONS

Division of Life Sciences & Department of Chemistry-Biochemistry

2018-2019

Background

Biocon Academy

RCASC-Biocon Academy MoU signing

Biocon-Ramaiah Certificate Program on Quality Control Analytical (QCA)

Resource Persons & Industry Orientation

Zoom Videoconferencing and Learning Management System-Moodle

Students Screening, Recruitment, and Placements

Course Fee

News in print and digital media

Future perspectives

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PROGRAM REPORT

Background:

To promote innovation and industry readiness among life sciences graduates, it is

imperative to expose them to the ecosystem in Biopharma industry. This process is

achieved through skill development mediated by efforts from Industry and

Academia collaborations. In USA, strong tie-ups with Industry-Academia has

already been implemented and showed excellent progress. Although, India is

lagging in this perspective, recent efforts by National Skill Development Council

(NSDC) and few Biotech organisations a promising future is awaiting.

Biocon Academy:

Biocon Ltd is one of the premier biopharmaceutical company in Asia. As a part of

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman & Managing

Director- Biocon has established ‘Biocon Academy’ in Bangalore;

https://www.bioconacademy.com/. The main aim of the academy is to prepare students

for industry readiness in a global competitive BioPharma sector.

Biocon Academy conducts several flagship certificate programs in Biosciences and

allied disciplines. The program and academic Deans of Biocon Academy work in

conjunction with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from Biocon to develop and design

curricular aspects for the certificate programs. In parallel, Biocon Academy will

work with renowned educational institutes in USA and India to deliver the courses.

For example, Keck Graduate Institute (California, USA) and BITS Pilani, India are

the two premier institutes working with Biocon Academy. Few of the programs

running under the umbrella of Biocon Academy are;

Biocon-KGI Certificate Program in Biosciences

BITS Biocon Certificate Program in Applied Industrial Microbiology

Biocon-KGI Certificate Program in Clinical Development

Biocon Founder & Chairman, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw with Students of Biocon Academy

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RCASC-Biocon Academy Collaboration and MoU signing:

With a perspective to start a new certificate program on Quality Control Analytical

aspects in BioPharma Industry, Biocon Academy opened bidding process for

education partners in Bangalore such as, National Centre for Biological Sciences

(NCBS), RCASC, etc. Enthusiastically, RCASC submitted detailed proposal and later

given a presentation at Biocon Academy. In February 2019, it was finally confirmed

that RCASC has been chosen as an ‘education partner’ and a MoU has been

established.

RCASC ventured into this initiative with the following objectives;

To bring strong interaction between Industry and Academia through special

certificate programs (NAAC Criteria – 3.5)

To train students for entry to mid-level jobs in Quality Control and Quality

Assurance areas in Pharma Industry through experiential learning and

enhancing their soft skills (NAAC Criteria – 5.2.1)

To train faculty of RCASC to transition their academic expertise to industry

relevance through Faculty Development Programs and Special training

programs (NAAC Criteria – 6.3.4)

To bring student awareness on Industry standards and work ethics through

Industrial Visits and help in their placements (NAAC Criteria – 5.2.1)

To enable ICT tools in teaching methodology through delivering lectures by

Zoom Video Conferencing and establishing a Learning Management System,

Moodle (NAAC Criteria – 2.3.2)

MoU Signing-Feb 2019

Dr.A. Nagarathna, Principal-RCASC & Mr. Amithava Saha (President – HR, Biocon LTD)

Front Row, from left : Mr. Chennarayappa (former HoD, Chem-Biochem, RCASC), Dr. A. Nagarathana, Principal RCASC, Mrs. Bindu Ajit (Program Dean, Biocon Academy),

Mr. Amithava Saha (President, Human Resoruces, Biocon LTD), Mr. Ramgopal Rao S (Academic manager, Biocon Academy)

Back Row, from left: Dr. Rajdurai M (former faculty, RCASC), Dr. Nagagireesh Bojanala, Dean of

Sciences –RCASC, and Dr. SS Easwaran( Academic Dean – Biocon Academy)

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Biocon-Ramaiah Certificate Program on Quality Control Analytical

(QCA): After MoU signing, RCASC and Biocon Academy finalized the program for a

duration of 8-weeks entitled ‘Biocon-Ramaiah Certificate program on Quality

Control Analyical (QCA)’.

https://www.bioconacademy.com/program_overview_qca.aspx

The program objectives, outcomes, and schedule is as below:

SCHEDULE MODULE

Week 1 Basic toolkit

Week 2 Quality Management System

Week 3 Analytical Methods: Part I; Spectral Methods

Week 4 Analytical Methods: Part II; Chromatography (A)

Week 5 Analytical Methods: Part III; Chromatography (A)

Week 6 Quality analysis

Week 7 Stability testing

Week 8 Hand On Training – Thermo fisher –IIT Mumbai

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Resource Persons & Industry Orientation:

From RCASC, The program is mentored by the Principal and co-ordinated by Dean

of Sciences, Department of Life Sciences in collaboration with Department of

Chemistry-Biochemistry. Further, Biocon Academy reviewed qualified and

motivated faculty profiles from Life Sciences and selected few faculty as resource

persons. Later a rigorous ‘Industry Orientation’ at Biocon facility, Bangalore was

conducted. This orientation helped faculty to gain expertise in terms of Industry

relevance and to orient themselves to the QCA program. In addition, RCASC

recruited few Industry experts as resource person based on the need of expertise.

The list of approved resource persons is as below:

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Industry Orientation:

Industry Orientation was conducted during April 15 to 17, 2019 at Biocon Ltd, Bangalore.

During the program, several experts from Biocon delivered comprehensive lectures on

Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Stability Testing, and Shelf Life Determination etc. In

addition, Academic Dean of Biocon Academy gave training on team building activities.

Furthermore, faculty also visited Biocon Plants to check on the daily routine of employees

and Infrastructure.

Biocon Ramaiah Certificate Program in Quality Control Analytical (QCA)

Staff orientation

Day 1: 15th April, 2019- Monday

Theory:

09 30 Introduction to Quality Unit and Basic concepts in Quality Control

Sridhar

11 00 Tea break

11 30 Quality Management System Unnikrishnan

Lab visit:

14 30 Personal protective equipment and Good Laboratory Practices Site 1-Q2: Harish & Unnikrishnan

15 30 QMS overview- Lab tour

Day 2: 16th April, 2019- Tuesday

Theory:

09 30 Analytical Instrumentation: Spectral and Electrometric methods

Zacharia

11 00 Tea break

11 30 Analytical Instrumentation: Chromatographic Methods

Parthasarathy

Lab visit:

14 30 Spectral and Electrometric methods Site 2-Q8: Zacharia

15 30 Chromatographic Methods Site 2-Q8: Parthasarathy

Day 3: 17th April, 2019- Wednesday

Theory:

09 30 Quality analysis Harish

11 00 Tea break

11 30 Stability testing Jackson

Lab visit:

14 30 Stability Testing Jackson

Biocon Academy Biocon AcademyBiocon HouseSemicon Park, Electronic CityPhase II, Hosur Road,Bangalore - 560100, India

www.bioconacademy.com

Certificate

This is to certify that the following faculty have participated in the three days industry orientation program conducted at B iocon Academy between 15th and 17th April, 2019. The program comprised of the interaction with Subject Matter Experts and visits to the Quality Control laboratories of Biocon Limited

S. No Name Affiliation1 Dr. Nagagireesh Bojanala Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and

Commerce2 Dr. Basavaraj BV Ramaiah University of Applied

Sciences3 Dr. Santosh Anand Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and

Commerce4 Dr. Vasanth K Bhaskara Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and

Commerce5 Dr. Dr. Krishna Rao Jagarlamudi Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and

Commerce6 Dr. Vemula Vani Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and

Commerce7 Dr. Snehalatha V Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and

Commerce8 Dr. Prasanna Srinivas Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and

Commerce9 Dr. Priyanka Banerjee Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and

Commerce10 Dr. Rajadurai Murugan Ramaiah College of Arts, Science and

Commerce

SS.EaswaranAcademic Dean, Biocon Academy

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Photos from Industry Orientation – Apr 15-17, 2019

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Zoom Videoconferencing and Learning Management System-Moodle:

RCASC instituted advanced ICT tools to successfully run the QCA program through

Zoom Videoconferencing (for online classes) and Learning Management System

(LMS)- Moodle, which allows uploading of lectures, study materials,

quizzes/exams. Moodle also helps to monitor individual student progression

through-out the course.

http://www.moodle-rcasc.org/

Zoom Room – For Online lectures through Video Conference

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Student’s Screening, Recruitment, and Placements:

Biocon-Ramaiah certificate program on Quality Control Analytical (QCA) for 2019

was scheduled from August 16th to October 15th (8 weeks). Students from all over

India who possess M.Sc degree in Chemistry or Biochemistry with minimum 6.8 GPA

are eligible to apply through the admission portal of Biocon Academy. Later

students will go through 2 rounds of interviews, HR & Technical and selected

candidates will be enrolled into the program. By this process, Biocon Academy

enrolled 18 students for the Batch I of the QCA program. Of the 18, five students

are selected from Department of Chemistry-Biochemistry, RCASC.

After successful completion of the 8-week program, Biocon Academy conducted

campus placement and placed all the 18 students in BioPharma Industry. The

following students from RCASC also got placed and the details are below:

Student(s) Program Recruiter Remuneration (in lakhs)

Anushree S M.Sc Biochemistry Biocon, Bangalore 3.5-4.0

Anusha D M.Sc Organic Chemistry Biocon, Bangalore 3.5-4.0

Nisha R M.Sc Biochemistry Ramaiah Medical College

4.0-5.0

Rameen Taj M.Sc Biochemistry Intas, Ahmedabad 3.5-4.0

Vinay Kumar M.Sc Organic Chemistry Biocon, Bangalore 3.5-4.0

Left: Principal of RCASC, Dr.A. Nagarathna addressing graduating students Right: Mementos and Medals for students

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Batch I students with Founding Director of Biocon, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Certificate of Completion of QCA program

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Finances – Consultancy Payments:

The QCA program costs 30,000 plus tax (40% cost of the program) for the complete

duration of the program that includes fully covered 1 week stay at Thermofisher

IIT Mumbai Incubation center during the hands-on training sessions. Remaining 60%

cost of the program is covered by Biocon Scholarship which is provided to all the

selected students.

News in print and digital media:

The launch of the QCA program was mentioned in several pharma magazines and

blogs. In addition, Biocon Academy provides updates of the program in monthly

magazine ‘BioZesta’ and also on their office Facebook page.

Few of the links to the media files are;

https://www.biospectrumindia.com/news/68/13739/biocon-academy-organises-program-in-

quality-control-analytical.html

http://www.uniindia.com/biocon-academy-launches-quality-control-analytical-certificate-

course/south/news/1615763.html

http://www.pharmabiz.com/NewsDetails.aspx?aid=116106&sid=1

https://www.expresspharma.in/latest-updates/biocon-academy-introduces-experiential-learning-

program-in-quality-control-analytical/

https://www.facebook.com/BioconAcademy/posts/biocon-ramaiah-certificate-program-in-quality-

control-analytical-is-8-weeks-full/2418521988253371/

https://bioconacademy.blog/home/

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Principal, Dr. A. Nagarathna

Dean of Sciences, Dr. Nagagireesh Bojanala

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RCASC Student, Anushree S

Future Perspectives:

Biocon Academy thanked Honourable Directors, Shri. MR Janakiram & Shri. MR.

Kodandaram, Chief Executive Shri. B.S. Ramaprasad, Chief of Finance Mr.G.

Ramachandra, Principal Dr.A. Nagarathna, and Dean of Sciences, Dr. Nagagireesh

Bojanala for their support and smooth completion of the program for 2019.

Furthermore, all resource persons received high accolades for their teamwork and

diligence. Biocon Academy agreed to do one program annually with RCASC and the

next batch will commence from August 2020. Finally, renewal of contract terms

between the two institutions are in progress.

https://www.bioconacademy.com/program_EligibilityQCA.aspx