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Hundreds herald launch of Medway Pharmacy Students' Association

More than five hundred students came together to celebrate the launch of the Medway Pharmacy Students' Association (MPSA) at the Universities at Medway campus.

Medway School of Pharmacy, which was established in 2004, is a joint initiative between Greenwich and Kent universities and is sponsored by the international company Pfizer Limited, which is providing sponsorship worth £500,000 over a five-year period.

The new venture is the largest students' organisation at the campus and will also be a significant part of the existing Universities at Medway Students' Association.

Emmanuel Amponsah-Poku, President for MPSA's executive committee, said the new organisation gave the students more opportunities to get to know one another outside the lecture halls and classrooms. 'I'd like all the pharmacy students to feel they are part of a big family and to socialise together,' he said.

The launch at the Medway campus was a spectacular occasion, marked by sumo wrestling, indoor bungee jumping, competitions and a special lunch for all pharmacy students. Meanwhile the ten-strong executive committee are busy planning a host of other activities for later in the term.

All the students agreed they had received enormous support from their lecturers in setting up their own association.

Professor Iain Cumming, Head of Medway School of Pharmacy, said: 'It gives me great pleasure to be involved in the launch. This is another major milestone in the growth of the School and is a recognition of the fact that we now have more than 500 undergraduates studying with us on the Medway campus.

'The students have put time and energy into creating a significant launch event. I know that they will continue to make this an active and creative association that will contribute to the continued expansion of an evolving and growing campus. I wish them every success with this venture and their future careers.'

Funding for the launch came primarily from the external lectures fees donated by the School's founding head, Professor Clare Mackie, who is now Pro Vice-Chancellor for Medway at the University of Kent. Pfizer also sponsored a set of T-shirts with the new union logo and name.

This summer will see another landmark for Medway School of Pharmacy as, for the first time, students who have studied on the full-time, four-year MPharm degree course will be graduating.

Contact: N.J.Ellwood@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 1:40pm 5 February 2008