Hands-On Training for Upstream Process in Cell-Based Vaccine Manufacturing

The focus is on providing extensive hands-on training in industrial facilities, enabling participants to gain practical experience and a deeper understanding of the intricacies involved in vaccine production.

The training also supports participants in applying newly acquired skills to enhance vaccine production capabilities in their home institutions through strategic collaborations among local biomanufacturers, Korea Biopharmaceutical CMO (K-Bio CMO), and the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), thereby contributing to the ongoing enhancement of LMICs’ biomanufacturing capability.

Costs Covered

• The course is offered free of charge to participants. Accommodation will be provided during the entire course days and weekends. On weekdays, all three meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—will be provided, while only breakfast will be available on weekends.
• The cost of travel to/from Seoul, Republic of Korea will not be covered. Selected applicants will be responsible for obtaining flights and any necessary vaccinations and visas for entering Korea. However, transportation during the program, including travel from the airport to Seoul, from Seoul to Andong, and from Andong to the airport, will be provided for all selected applicants.

Eligibility Criteria

• Be a citizen of, and resident in, an LMIC.
• Be employed by a company registered as a legal entity in an LMIC conducting activities in the scope of biomanufacturing.
• Hold a position in the company as a technician, engineer, scientist, or manager in biomanufacturing or a related field, with up to 6 years of experience.
• Have an educational background in life sciences.
• Have at least an intermediate level of proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Demonstrate in the application how the acquired knowledge, skills and competencies during the training will be applied after the training in the institution the participant is coming from.

Selection Criteria

• Eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of members recommended by the MoHW of the Republic of Korea and WHO.
• Once the selection process is completed, selected participants will be notified of the next steps and required information via email.
• Due to limited capacity, a maximum of 3 participants from each country will be selected. The decision will be made by the selection committee in collaboration with the home institution.
• Institutions involved solely in animal vaccine production must provide a letter to GTH-B stating their institutional plan to expand into human vaccine production if they wish to send participants for training.
• Priority will be given to trainees with certificates from completing the following GTH-B training programs:
  • Introductory Course for Biologics Development and Manufacturing
  • Introductory Course for Standard Practice (GxP)

Application Requirements

• Applicants must provide the following information:
  • Personal information including nationality, country of residence, passport number, name, date of birth, gender, contact details, and others.
  • Information about the institution.
  • Information about educational background.
  • Information about work experience.
  • Information about English proficiency.
  • Information about GTH-B training history
• Applicants must upload the following documents:
  • A copy of their passport.
  • A letter of endorsement: A letter from the Director of the applicant’s institution confirming the applicant’s capability to successfully undertake the training and certifying their current employment status. (A sample endorsement letter is available on the application page of the website.)

For more information, visit WHO.