SKMA Students Completed Industrial Internship at Sechenov University

Fourth-year students of the Pharmacy educational program at South Kazakhstan Medical Academy successfully completed the industrial internship entitled “Quality Control and Standardization of Medicinal Products” at the A.P. Nelyubin Institute of Pharmacy of Sechenov University. The internship was conducted within the framework of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the two universities.

The trainees were warmly welcomed by Professor G.V. Ramenskaya, D.Sc. (Pharm.), Director of the A.P. Nelyubin Institute of Pharmacy, who emphasized the importance of international cooperation in the training of highly qualified pharmaceutical professionals. The internship program included lectures and laboratory classes covering contemporary issues in the development, registration, standardization, and quality control of medicinal products. Under the supervision of the internship coordinators, Associate Professor E.S. Melnikov, Ph.D. (Pharm.), and Associate Professor E.N. Fischer, Ph.D. (Pharm.), the students studied methods of functional analysis, spectrophotometry, polarimetry, and titrimetric analysis. They also gained hands-on experience with modern analytical instruments and performed practical laboratory work using high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS).

Particular interest was generated by the lectures delivered by leading scientists and faculty members of Sechenov University. Associate Professor O.Yu. Shchepochkina, Ph.D. (Pharm.), presented contemporary approaches to the development and evaluation of medicinal products, as well as the specific features of applying the 15th edition of the State Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation. A lecture on the development of modern biological medicinal products was delivered by Professor V.V. Smirnov. Professor M.V. Belova, D.Sc. (Biol.), introduced the students to current issues in chemical and toxicological analysis used in the diagnosis of acute poisoning.

The second week of the internship was conducted at the Center for Pharmaceutical Analytics (CFA LLC). A tour of the research center was led by its Director, T.N. Komarov. I.E. Shokhin, General Director of CFA LLC, delivered a lecture on contemporary approaches to conducting *in vitro* studies in drug development and conducted a master class on the application of artificial intelligence in scientific research and academic publishing. The practical training sessions focused on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques and sample preparation of biological fluids for analytical investigations.

At the Pharmaceutical Research Laboratory LLC, the students were welcomed by T.A. Rodina, Ph.D. (Chem.), a long-standing partner of the Department of Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry of South Kazakhstan Medical Academy. During the tour, the students became acquainted with the laboratory’s areas of activity and its state-of-the-art analytical equipment. The practical component of the training focused on comparative dissolution kinetics testing of pharmaceutical products using both automated and manual dissolution testing systems.

The internship was accompanied by active scientific engagement. At the 10th International Scientific and Practical Conference of Young Scientists, **“DRUG – Medicine or…? Challenges of Translation,”** first place in the oral presentation section was awarded to A. Abdrakhmanova, N. Omirzak, and E. Nurzhanbek. Zh. Vakhapov and B. Akberdieva were recognized among the winners of the poster presentation competition, earning third place.

Another significant achievement was the participation of SKMA students in the All-Russian Organic Chemistry Olympiad with international participation, which brought together more than 100 students from Russia and other countries. Yerkebulan Nurzhanbek became the winner of the Olympiad, while Zhakhongir Vakhapov and Bibizhamal Akberdieva were awarded prize-winning places.

The cultural program was equally rich and diverse. The students visited Red Square, Chistye Prudy, the Monument to Abai Kunanbayev, the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Russian Federation, VDNKh, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Moscow-City business district, Old Arbat, and many other notable landmarks of Moscow.

Upon completion of the internship, all students successfully passed the final assessment. The closing ceremony was held at the Congress Hall of Sechenov University, where L.N. Vikhrova, a specialist of the International Relations Office, presented the students with certificates of internship completion and commemorative gifts.

The experience gained during the internship enabled SKMA students to enhance their professional competencies, become familiar with advanced pharmaceutical analytical technologies, and strengthen international academic ties between South Kazakhstan Medical Academy and Sechenov University.
South Kazakhstan Medical Academy expresses its sincere gratitude to the leadership of Sechenov University, the A.P. Nelyubin Institute of Pharmacy, faculty members, staff of the International Relations Office, research centers, and specialized laboratories for the excellent organization of the industrial internship, their professionalism, support, and warm hospitality. We would also like to extend our special appreciation to the leadership of South Kazakhstan Medical Academy for providing students with the opportunity to undertake an international internship, thereby fostering their professional development, promoting academic mobility, and expanding international cooperation between our universities.