President's Message

Welcome to the Clinical Trials in Pakistan: Bridging Gaps, Building Networks symposium at the Aga Khan University.

Over a period of 30 years, the Aga Khan University has garnered global acclaim for excellence in teaching, learning and research. Working in the developing world, the University has striven to be innovative and pioneering in its academic and research efforts in the regions in which it works.

In response to the needs for research, in 2011 the University opened the Clinical Trials Unit – a state-of-the-art facility. Clinical trials form the cornerstone of human research but in Pakistan – despite the vast potential – they are in their nascence. The Unit has since made its presence felt with its Good Clinical Practice-compliant standards and its spectrum of services.

Parallel to medical and scientific advancements, the University also realizes the urgent need to build successful partnerships with all stakeholders – clinicians, researchers, academia, regulators and industry leaders – to conduct high quality, high impact trials. The University at every stage is committed to investing resources in clinical trials and creating a collaborative setting with key players to advance research studies in human volunteers.

This conference is the first step to creating a more robust regulatory network for human trials in Pakistan. We hope that your deliberations will be successful in encouraging solid growth in the number and quality of clinical trials in the region and country.

Mr Firoz Rasul
President
Aga Khan University