The COIL course was a really valuable experience. I especially enjoyed the collaborative case study session, where we worked with students to discuss clinical trial questions and present our ideas. It was a great opportunity to learn from different perspectives and to develop both my knowledge and teamwork skills in an international setting.
Sahara Sohail, a Master of Pharmacy student who participated in the programme
28 May 2026
King's and BRAC University connect students through new pharmaceutical sciences programme
Nearly 350 students from King’s College London and BRAC University came together for a new online learning programme exploring the global pharmaceutical industry.
Leading experts from King’s’ School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences and BRAC University in Bangladesh partnered on a Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) programme to support cross-cultural engagement in pharmaceutical sciences. Together, they developed two extracurricular, self‑study courses undertaken by students at both institutions. These provided insights into the global pharmaceutical industry, from the development of new medicines to regulatory approval, as well as the processes that ensure drugs remain safe and effective.
One of the courses, The Pre‑Clinical and Clinical Stages of Drug Development and Drug Approval Process, was designed by Professor Miraz Rahman at King’s, supported by a King’s Global Engagement Partnership Fund award. It features contributions from pharmaceutical industry experts and introduces how medicines progress from early discovery through pre‑clinical testing and clinical trials.
The second course, Development and Regulation of Generic Drugs, was developed by BRAC University and provides a practical introduction to the development, regulation and global approval of generic medicines.
The programme ran over one month and culminated in two virtual workshops. Supported by academic staff and PhD student facilitators, participants worked in small groups to analyse and respond to a range of drug development scenarios. These activities were designed to simulate real‑world decision making, enabling students to learn from one another and share their approaches and solutions with the wider group.
This is a creative partnership and a valuable opportunity for students to study together across continents on the vital issues of drug development and governance. We look forward to deepening collaboration.
Dr Dave Dowland, Registrar at BRAC University
This project is about widening access to knowledge and creating meaningful international learning opportunities. It is important that students in the Global South and at our partner institutions can benefit from high-quality learning and shared expertise. Through this collaboration, students can learn from each other, broaden their perspectives, and take part in a more inclusive global education experience.
Professor Miraz Rahman, Head of the Department of Drug Discovery and the COIL lead at King’s
The project was launched through King’s Edge, the university‑wide initiative for extracurricular learning, through which King’s is piloting innovative and globally connected approaches to education that support students to build skills and engage with real‑world challenges.
Professor Mark Peace, Professor of Innovation in Education and Academic Director of King’s Edge, said: “COIL projects such as this one are an excellent example of the type of activity that we are looking to pilot and support within the framework of King’s Edge. This project has provided students from King’s with a unique opportunity to gain access to industry insights in a virtual format and share learnings alongside their international peers, showing the added value of working with our partner institutions to develop innovative learning opportunities for students”.
Plans are underway for further collaborations between BRAC University and King’s, as well as new COIL projects with other international partners. For more information on King's international partnerships, please contact globalengagement@kcl.ac.uk
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Professor of Medicinal Chemistry