Highly motivated, innovative delegates from third, fourth and fifth level pharmacy students were selected to join Associate Prof. Karim Raafat in a one-week scientific trip to Germany for the second year consecutively.

The nine junior researchers, from the junior research team (JRT) at BAU, landed Berlin on Sunday 22nd of March 2015 to start their scientific journey, which ended on Monday 30th of March 2015.

The aim of this valuable trip was to foster the students’ research skills by training them in a country where pharmaceutical industry and research are advanced such as Germany.

During their journey, our junior researchers received professional training at the various research laboratories in the most important universities such as Freie Universität and Technische Universität; as well as in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnological companies like Bayer Pharmaceutical Group and NOXXON Pharma Biotechnology Company.

Moreover, our JRT attended the Sixth International Conference on fixed combination to treat hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes (Fixed Combination 2015) aiming for the acquisition of expertise and update knowledge in the management of such chronic diseases.

Throughout the scientific journey, the members of the research team presented a model in professional attitude and commitment while upholding the ethical principles and the values that were embedded in them during the previous years.

‘I am very proud of what I discovered during this scientific journey. This trip made me realize the advanced academic level we have in our Faculty as I didn’t find a magnitude difference in the quality of courses I took in comparison to what is being given in Berlin universities’ reflected on the trip, Rana Alaadine a fourth level pharmacy student in JRT.

‘I really enjoyed the team spirit during the journey especially that it widened my scope in research domains and motivated me to keep going in research as my future track’ quoted Mohammad Ismail.

‘JRT students are the future pharmacy ambassadors of Lebanon abroad’ expressed by Associate Prof. Karim Raafat.