SETU moves closer to offering pharmacy and veterinary medicine courses

In a further vote of confidence for South East Technological University (SETU) and the region, Ireland’s newest university makes a significant move forward towards providing pharmacy and veterinary medicine courses as it continues to expand and deepen its programme portfolio.

In 2022, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) established a process to identify opportunities in the higher education system to build capacity in dentistry, pharmacy, medicine, nursing, and veterinary medicine.

SETU’s proposals to create new programmes in pharmacy and veterinary medicine and expand capacity on its existing nursing courses were included in the capacity building options announced by the Government today. The Government agreed to advance the proposals with investment to be considered in Budget 2024 and the National Development Plan review.

SETU President Prof Veronica Campbell warmly welcomed the news saying that this is a real vote of confidence in our newly established university and in our ambitions for the future.

“Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy are prestigious courses in high demand and will attract some of the brightest and best students from the south east, from across the country and from around the world.

“A large team from across SETU were involved in making these applications, but I would particularly like to single out Prof Peter McLoughlin, Dr David Dowling and Eleanor Kent for their foresight in building knowledge and capacity through the years, putting SETU in a position to be successful in a highly competitive process.

The veterinary medicine application builds on SETU’s strengths in science and land sciences together with a 50-year history of collaborative provision with Teagasc, Kildalton Agricultural College. The pharmacy submission is supported by SETU’s extensive record of teaching and research in pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical science.

Both applications for the new programmes were supported by numerous industry stakeholders in the region spanning the agri/food, and equine industries, pharma/biopharma industries, veterinary and pharmacy practitioners, farming organisations, consultancy agencies and regional and national representatives. 

Prof Campbell continues, “One of the important next stages is to link in with the appropriate regulatory authorities and we very much look forward to working with both the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and the Veterinary Council of Ireland.”

Prof Campbell went on to thank the Government and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for the leadership in establishing a process to build capacity in areas of high skill needs in Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, and Veterinary Medicine

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