Ghent University (Belgium), the Medical University of Gdansk (Poland), the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) and the University of Lille (France) jointly announce the new Erasmus+ Mundus Joint Master Degree Programme in Sustainable Drug Discovery (acronym: S-DISCO). This EU partnership of the four universities was selected under Erasmus+ to provide funding for talented students attending the course.

This programme originates from longstanding informal discussions between some of the partners on the need to train students in drug discovery, the challenging phase in the life cycle of a medicine that precedes first-in-human studies and clinical development. The programme is unique in that it will pay notable attention to sustainability, an aspect that currently receives little attention in traditional educational programmes in this area. Sustainability boundaries, including environmental, ecological and socio-economic dimensions, add an extra level of complexity to drug discovery, but are of increasing importance to competent authorities and the society at large.

The new S-DISCO programme, coordinated by Ghent University, is a two-year Master programme consisting of logically aligned modules with stepwise build-up knowledge, skills and competences. By applying case-based learning, it will stimulate students to integrate, connect, confront and reconcile multi-perspective ways of looking at sustainable drug discovery.

After a preparative summer school in Ghent, all students will stay the first semester at this institution and the second semester in Gdansk. In the third semester, students may customize their studies in Lille or Groningen. In the fourth semester, students will perform a master thesis in one of these partner institutions or with one of the numerous associated partners (incl. industry, competent authorities and research institutions). Successful students will obtain a common master-degree of the 4 universities.

Scholarships from the EU will be available for on average 21 students every year, with both European and International students being invited to apply for the programme and associated grants. The grant covers the tuition fee, and also provides a travel and living allowance. Call for applications are opened in September of each year to start this programme the year after. The deadline for applications requesting also an EC-scholarship grant is 31 January. For the other applications (other fundings, self-funded, etc…i.e. not EC-scholarship requests), the deadline is end of February. More information on the course website: http://www.sustainabledrugdiscovery.eu.