- Course hosted by Korean MOHW and WHO as part of Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B) program
- 2-week course will educate 155 trainees from 49 LMICs on the entire vaccine production cycle
June 3, 2024, SEOUL, Republic of Korea — International Vaccine Institute (IVI) announced it will conduct the ‘2024 Introductory Course for Biologics Development and Manufacturing’ as part of the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B) program at Seoul National University’s Siheung Campus for two weeks starting June 3. The program, hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to strengthen vaccine production capacity in middle- and low-income countries and Korea.
The course, which will start with an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. on the first day, brings together 155 trainees from 49 countries, including employees of vaccine companies and organizations, as well as 20 trainees from Korean biotechs and graduate students specializing in the bio sector.
The trainees have been selected through a committee led by MOHW and WHO and will receive comprehensive training, including didactic education on the entire vaccine production cycle, discussions, case studies, field trips to companies and organizations, and networking with industry professionals. Thirteen African participants have received travel support from the East African Center for Excellence in Vaccines, Immunization and Health Supply Chain Management (EAC RCE VIHSCM) in Rwanda.
The course will be taught by a faculty team of over 40 experts from more than 10 institutions, including international organizations such as IVI and the Coalition for Pandemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI), government agencies such as the UK’s National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and vaccine companies. Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI, will deliver a keynote lecture on “The History and Development of Vaccine Technology” following the opening ceremony.
The course will be conducted as in-person training for two weeks, following 12 hours of preparatory online training. It will cover the full cycle of vaccine research and development, production, and use, including immunology, vaccine technology, product development, preclinical and clinical development, health economics, intellectual property, and regulatory affairs. There will also be a ‘Mini convention’ for networking with Korean biotech companies and field trips to production facilities of leading biotech firms and related organizations. Through this comprehensive training, IVI aims to ensure that all trainees who have completed this course have mastered the essential theories and are equipped with the practical knowledge and skills necessary to operate a biomanufacturing facility.
GTH-B was established by MOHW and WHO in February 2022 to address global vaccine inequities revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic and to create a world safer from infectious diseases. While promoting equitable vaccine access in LMICs, the GTH-B program also aims to improve Korea’s global biohealth leadership as a hub for fostering biomedical human resources in LMICs by establishing a collaborative system with international organizations such as WHO and regional development banks, and by promoting the global biologics and vaccine industry.
IVI was selected by MOHW as the operator of GTH-B’s ‘Global Bio Intensive Training Courses’ in 2022 and has since implemented ‘the Introductory Course for Biologics Development and Manufacturing’ and ‘the Introductory Course for Standard Practice (GxP Course).’ It has also conducted seven overseas on-site consulting and training, including two in South Africa and one each in Bangladesh, Kenya, Senegal, Ghana, and Nepal.
IVI has thus trained a total of 870 people in-person through GTH-B and related courses, and more than 2,100 through online training in the past two years. The institute plans to educate over 300 people this year through a variety of GTH-B courses, including didactic and hands-on courses and onsite training and consultations in LMICs.
Eun-young Jeong, Director General of the Health Industry Policy Bureau at MOHW, said at the opening ceremony, “We hope that this training will greatly contribute to strengthening vaccine production capabilities in LMICs and advancing global health security. The ministry will operate various curricula including didactic and practical training for foreign and domestic bioindustry workforces and offer onsite consulting overseas and online training based on excellent education programs and Korean companies to enable Korea to play a responsible role as a biohealth hub.”
Dr. Jerome Kim, Director General of IVI, said, “Through GTH-B, IVI is contributing to addressing the global vaccine gap by providing quality education that leverages Korea’s excellent bio-infrastructure and IVI’s demonstrated capabilities. To make this happen, IVI will continue to closely collaborate with MOHW, WHO and other partners around the world.”
【Trainees for 2024 Introductory Course for Biologics Development and Manufacturing by Nationality】
* (Total 175) Ghana (2), Nigeria (1), South Sudan (2) South Africa (1), South Korea (20), East Timor (1), Rwanda (2), Malawi (1), Malaysia (8), Mexico (1), Mozambique (1), Montenegro (5), Mongolia (3), Bangladesh (5), Vietnam (2), Botswana (2), Burundi (4), Brazil (6), Senegal (1), Serbia (4), Sri Lanka (2), Azerbaijan (2), Albania (1), and Angola (1), Ethiopia (5), Jordan (2), Uganda (4), Uzbekistan (2), Ukraine (1), Iran (2), Egypt (8), India (2), Indonesia (4), Zambia (1), China (16), Zimbabwe (3), Cameroon (4), Kazakhstan (6), Kenya (2), Côte d’Ivoire (1), Colombia (1), Congo (1), Kyrgyzstan (2), Tanzania (9), Thailand (6), Tunisia (1), Paraguay (1), Pakistan (5), Peru (1), and the Philippines (7).
Source: Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea
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About the International Vaccine Institute (IVI)
The International Vaccine Institute (IVI) is a non-profit international organization established in 1997 at the initiative of the United Nations Development Programme with a mission to discover, develop, and deliver safe, effective, and affordable vaccines for global health.
IVI’s current portfolio includes vaccines at all stages of pre-clinical and clinical development for infectious diseases that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, such as cholera, typhoid, chikungunya, shigella, salmonella, schistosomiasis, hepatitis E, HPV, COVID-19, and more. IVI developed the world’s first low-cost oral cholera vaccine, pre-qualified by the World Health Organization (WHO), and developed a new-generation typhoid conjugate vaccine that also achieved WHO prequalification in early 2024.
IVI is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea with a Europe Regional Office in Sweden, an Africa Regional Office in Rwanda, a Country Office in Austria, and a Country and Project Office in Kenya. IVI additionally co-founded the Hong Kong Jockey Club Global Health Institute in Hong Kong and hosts Collaborating Centers in Ghana, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. 41 countries and the WHO are members of IVI, and the governments of the Republic of Korea, Sweden, India, Finland, and Thailand provide state funding. For more information, please visit https://www.ivi.int.