Over the last decade, the drug industry has advanced dramatically throughout the world. Israel is leading the way in the research and development of drugs and biological materials, particularly in Jerusalem. Approximately 25% of Israel’s biotechnological plants are located in Jerusalem, where 40% of research in this field takes place.
The accelerated development of this field, amplified by developments in modern technology, has created a demand for a range of engineering professions that had previously not been addressed in Israel. As such, The Azrieli College of Engineering Jerusalem is the first academic institute in Israel to award an undergraduate degree in Pharmaceutical Engineering.
The college partnered with TEVA Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. in establishing its Pharmaceutical Engineering Department which opened in 2008. With a cutting-edge curriculum, the B.Sc. program in Pharmaceutical Engineering provides students with the engineering tools required for the development and manufacturing of drugs, raw materials required for drug production, and drug carriers.
Undergraduate studies begin with the comprehensive study of Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, Thermodynamics, Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics, followed by in-depth training in pharmaceutical engineering. Since over the past decade there has been rapid progress in the development and use of biological materials - such as peptides, proteins and antibodies - for pharmaceuticals, during their training, students will study the technological principles used to engineer drugs based on biological materials including technologies used for the production of proteins (stabilization, isolation and characterization) and biological process engineering in a GMP environment.
At the end of the four-year program, students present a final project, under the joint mentorship of an academic advisor from the college and also either a senior researcher at a research institute; a senior faculty member from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; or a senior engineer in the pharmaceutical or biomedical industry, particularly the drug and drug source materials industries, in different production plants.
The Department's graduates are trained for the technology-rich biomedical industry, ready to be employed by drug companies, R&D units, or on the manufacturing plant production line; in the design of production floors, quality assurance and control systems, engaged in advanced analysis of pharmaceuticals and adapting them for use. Likewise, the college’s Pharmaceutical Engineering graduates are ready to continue on to applied research programs for advanced university degrees.
Four new Pharmaceutical Engineering Laboratories were established and equipped in November 2010 with the generous contribution from TEVA and The Foundation for Development and Progress. Read more.
