A4L Virtual Research Center and the E-learning platform presented at the 20th World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology in Melbourne, Australia

The 20^th World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology was held from 12 to 17 July 2026 in Melbourne Australia. Professor Mojca Kržan, the head of virtual Department of pharmacology, presented the Alliance4Life (A4L) initiative and its A4L_BRIDGE project, which aim to reduce disparities in research and innovation by strengthening the capacities of research institutions in Central and Eastern Europe. She explained that A4L promotes sustainable institutional reforms, modernisation of research career frameworks, and interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration. She also highlighted the alignment of these activities with the European Research Area policy agenda and their contribution to improving research excellence and innovation capacity in Widening countries.

Professor Kržan further presented A4L_BRIDGE activities aimed at advancing higher education in institutions involved in biomedical and health research. Particular attention was given to the A4L Virtual Research Center and the development of a comprehensive E-learning platform offering accredited online courses, including self-led and instructor-led courses and micro-credentials. She explained that the courses address the needs of researchers at different career stages, ranging from PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers to senior researchers and research managers. Topics include research proposal preparation, management of research tools and data, mentoring, and collaboration.

Finally, she emphasised that both the Virtual Research Center and the E-learning platform are designed as dynamic virtual environments that can continuously evolve and adapt to the changing needs of A4L members and users.