Clinical Research Education and Management Academy (CREMA), has opened its second campus in the country at Bengaluru, erstwhile Bangalore. CREMA successfully operates its campus in Mumbai, with over 300 students.

The courses offered by CREMA in Bengaluru include, Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmacovigilance (PGDPV), Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Data Management (PGDCDM), and Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Research (PGDCR). The courses are targeted at graduates in life sciences, pharmacology and medicine.

"CREMA's courses have been designed in consultation with clinical research industry, based on their current requirement. Most of the existing courses are not fully satisfying the industry requirement. Today the need of the hour is not developing merely a CR professional but a fully aware manager, who will be able to take the industry to a new level of growth," said Vijay Moza, Chairman, CREMA.

Clinical Research industry spells an opportunity of 50,000 jobs by 2010 in India alone and more than 250,000 jobs globally, as per a McKinsey study. Currently, only around 1,000 students are trained in clinical research every year.

Over 80 clinical research organizations (CROs), site management organizations (SMOs), pharmaceutical companies and data management organizations (DMOs) operate from South India with Bengaluru as one of the prime centres.

"The demand far exceeds the supply for clinical research industry professionals in India, especially Bengaluru and Mumbai. Therefore, the students should be in high demand," said Dr SM Sapatnekar, dean, CREMA.

CREMA has designed a unique LIFSP (Learning by Industry -Faculty -Student partnership) model that establishes a close relationship between the three entities involved in the process - the student, the faculty and the industry. The institute has specially designed an industry-driven curriculum with the learner's objectives in mind. The curriculum will be upgraded on a regular basis to enable students and practitioners to stay up-to-date with prevailing practices and technologies impacting Clinical Research Industry.

CREMA curriculum will be upgraded on a regular basis to enable students and practitioners to stay abreast with prevailing practices and technologies impacting clinical research industry. There will be constant interaction of students with clinical research industry professionals. This will ensure sharper insights into the domain of clinical research. The student will benefit by authentic and relevant flow of information, leading to a perfect environment for advanced learning.

The institute is spearheaded by Vijay Moza, the founder chairman of CREMA. Dr S.M. Sapatnekar, former director of Haffkine Institute, Mumbai, is the Dean and was the Vice-Chancellor's nominee to the Academic Council of the University of Mumbai.