Partnerships

Problem Situation

Ukraine’s pharmaceutical sector has long been undergoing transformation while facing intensified competition for young professionals. The war, migration, and the declining number of students in medical and pharmaceutical fields have deepened the shortage of qualified specialists. Despite strong academic foundations, universities often require modernized curricula, access to practical experience, and integration of contemporary approaches aligned with the pace of global pharmaceutical companies.

For Servier Ukraine, which has operated in the Ukrainian market for 25 years, these challenges are not only a matter of recruitment but also a matter of business sustainability and contribution to the development of the healthcare system. The quality of future specialists determines the performance and resilience of the entire industry.

The project “Servier Academy: Growing Together”, launched more than ten years ago, has always been an important part of the company’s social responsibility. Initially, it had a mostly educational-event format and lacked formalized partnerships with academic institutions. However, the growing demand from students for practical experience, the dynamic development of the labor market, and the need to build a talent pipeline made a new, systemic approach essential.

Without establishing strong partnerships between education and the pharmaceutical industry, several risks were emerging:

– the gap between market needs and student preparedness would continue to grow;
– universities would have limited opportunities to develop students’ modern competencies;
– the industry would face a shrinking pool of well-prepared candidates;
– the healthcare sector would lose young professionals willing to work in Ukraine.

Solution

Between 2023 and 2025, the company launched a large-scale transformation of the long-standing initiative, turning it into a comprehensive platform for sustainable partnerships with universities and for talent development. This solution included:

– formalizing cooperation with higher education institutions;
– transitioning from isolated educational events to a structured and systematic program;
– creating student programs that combine education, practice, mentorship, and social engagement;
– strengthening the company’s role as a responsible employer and contributor to human capital development.

From 2023 to 2025, Servier Ukraine signed memoranda of cooperation with three prominent universities:

– Bogomolets National Medical University,
– Zaporizhzhia State Medical and Pharmaceutical University,
– Bukovinian State Medical University.

These agreements established the foundation for long-term collaboration, joint educational activities, and student engagement in company projects.

Beyond formal partnerships, Servier Academy continues to maintain a broad network of cooperation with medical and pharmaceutical universities across Ukraine. Students from Lviv, Kharkiv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Odesa, and many other regions actively participate in webinars, online courses, career events, and educational initiatives. This ensures national reach and equal access to opportunities regardless of location.

Key Directions of the Solution

– Nationwide webinars providing students with modern insights into the pharmaceutical industry, market trends, and the development of professional and communication skills.
– Systematic participation in student events-career days, guest lectures, and employment consultations.
– Social initiatives involving students, including the joint planting of oaks along the “Victory Oaks” alley in Hirka Christer Park in Kyiv-an environmental project symbolizing resilience and renewal.
– Servier internship program (Summer 2025)-a one-week intensive through which students from universities across the country explored the company’s operations, completed practical assignments, and presented final team projects.
– Online webinars introducing students to the company, its roles, and its operating principles.
– The Servier mentorship program, offering tailored guidance from company experts, deeper insights into professional pathways, and preparation for career development in the pharmaceutical sector.
– Employer brand promotion among youth-student ambassador initiatives, “student experience” formats, and joint informational activities within universities.

Organizational Process

Implementation included:

– analyzing university needs;
– developing the updated Servier Academy program;
– creating educational materials;
– training speakers and internal trainers;
– managing partnerships;
– coordinating all program activities-from webinars to internship logistics.

Given the security challenges in the country, the project adopted a hybrid format combining online learning, offline events in safe regions, and participation in socially oriented activities carried out in accordance with safety guidelines.

Commenting on the development of partnerships with universities, Olha Shylova, Head of HR Management and Development at Servier Ukraine, emphasized that supporting young people is an investment in the future of the entire healthcare system, and that educational initiatives are among the most sustainable ways to support the country during wartime.

Results

In recent years, the project has gained a clear structure, become a systematic component of the company’s social responsibility, and achieved notable results:

– More than 1,500 students participated in webinars, lectures, and online courses.
– 10 students completed the first official Servier internship in 2025, gaining practical skills and receiving feedback from program leaders.
– 3 official memoranda were signed with leading universities.
– Universities increasingly engage Servier experts as speakers and consultants.
– Over 40 students participated in the company’s social and environmental initiatives.
– The project became a key element of employer brand development and supported Servier Ukraine’s recognition as a Best Places to Work 2024 and 2025 company and its 7th place ranking in the Forbes/Robota.ua TOP-50 Employers of Ukraine.

As a result, the company strengthens its talent pipeline, while students gain access to a safe and high-quality learning environment that supports their career development in Ukraine.

Lessons Learned and Significance for Sustainable Development

The implementation of Servier Academy: Growing Together demonstrates that long-term partnerships between business and education are not only possible but essential for the country’s future. This case represents a new model of corporate social responsibility-one that goes beyond grants or isolated initiatives and instead builds a resilient ecosystem of collaboration.

Just a few years ago, it seemed that Servier Academy already fulfilled its mission-supporting students and helping young people take their first steps in the pharmaceutical field. But the world was changing faster than expected. The war, migration, growing talent shortages, and challenges in medical education forced the company to ask a new, far more urgent question: what will happen tomorrow if we do not act today?

In the absence of systematic action, universities would continue working independently with limited resources to modernize their programs. Students dreaming of a pharmaceutical career would receive mostly theoretical knowledge without seeing the industry from within. Some would leave the profession, some would go abroad, and others would choose unrelated fields-simply because they didn’t see the opportunities that could have opened for them here.

Meanwhile, the labor market would face an increasing shortage of young specialists. Companies would compete for the same small pool of candidates. Business growth would slow down, innovation would become harder to sustain, and patients would wait longer for better treatment options.

Most importantly, the essential link between education and practice-between young talent and the industry, between the future and the present-would continue to break.

The transformation of Servier Academy allowed us to prevent this scenario.

This project is a story of how system-level thinking surpasses isolated efforts. The company learned that one-off lectures can inspire, but they cannot build professionals. What truly works is long-term partnership, shared projects, shared responsibility, and collective progress.

We have seen that the most valuable investment is the investment in a student-someone who will work with physicians, patients, and innovations tomorrow. Their growth is the growth of the entire industry.

We realized that combining education, practice, and social initiatives creates a living, holistic environment that inspires and develops simultaneously. And we confirmed that hybrid formats not only help overcome wartime challenges but also provide equal opportunities for students across the country.

This story is compelling evidence that strategic partnerships can shape the future. By choosing youth development as one of our key investment priorities, we are investing in the resilience, growth, and competitiveness of Ukraine’s pharmaceutical industry.