CHDR Academy firmly embedded in the organisation
‘Developing people’ is a core value of CHDR. After two years of CHDR Academy, all departments are fully aware of their role in developing their own employees and the students whom they teach.
‘We are not only a learning organisation, but we are also all learning individuals,’ says Prof. Koos Burggraaf, Dean of CHDR Academy. ‘And that awareness is now more alive than ever throughout the organisation. Not only among those who have traditionally been involved in education, such as PhD students and other scientists, but across all departments and professional groups.’ The broad focus on education, training and continuing professional development is central to the vision of CHDR Academy. And even if this attention to lifelong learning is not easily quantifiable with routine assessment methods, Burggraaf is convinced that this vision is increasingly being embraced.
Education Director Dr Jeroen van Smeden: ‘I can think of ways to quantify the enthusiasm for education. For instance, the number of appointments in my schedule. More and more people in the organisation want to discuss their training or a course they want to take. So, there’s a lot of interest, and our staff also know where to find us.’
Collaboration
CHDR Academy works closely with other organisations to provide CHDR employees with optimal training. And CHDR itself contributes to education in various organisations. This includes regular involvement in pharmacology education at Leiden University, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) and Leiden University of Applied Sciences, and at various universities and university medical centres across the country. Van Smeden: 'For example, we provide a significant part of the pharmacology education for medical students and biomedical science students at LUMC and educate students at the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research. But we’re also invited in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Nijmegen. Our education is based on our TRC, a freely available clinical pharmacology platform that we have developed and that is being used by students worldwide.'
For CHDR employees in a PhD programme, CHDR works closely with the LUMC Graduate School. Burggraaf: ‘The Graduate School is currently being revised as part of the LUMC’s ‘Quality and Integrity of Biomedical Research’ programme. I am proud that our procedures meet all the requirements of the LUMC Graduate School. In this area too, there is clear synergy with the LUMC, just as there is in the education of students and in clinical pharmacology training.’
Impact
Burggraaf and Van Smeden are convinced that the focus on education within the organisation also benefits the realisation of CHDR's other strategic goals. Burggraaf: ‘CHDR is a knowledge-intensive organisation, thus all employees should be aware of the latest developments and be open to learning new things. Because we give people the opportunity to develop themselves, we also attract talented employees.’ ‘The same applies to our investments in the education of students at the university and Leiden University Medical Centre,’ adds Van Smeden. ‘This brings us into contact with talented people who may come to work for CHDR in the future. And of course, providing education is our social responsibility. We not only develop knowledge and methods, but we also want our own employees and students to have the knowledge they need for safe drug development and better care.'
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