The FIP Foundation collaborates with the Early Career Pharmaceutical Group (ECPG) to provide leadership development for early career pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists.
Initiatives:
- Support development of future leaders for FIP and professional organizations engagement, as well as for leadership roles in careers of pharmacy practice, education, and pharmaceutical science.
- Establish new processes to foster leadership development with other FIP units.
- Continue to support the Ton Hoek Scholarship for development of future FIP leaders.
Making a Difference: Leadership Development Scholarships
The Foundation and ECPG Leadership Development Scholarships:
The Foundation, together with the FIP ECPG and Regional Forums, will awards 6 grants to support travel and participation in the annual ECPG Leadership Development Workshop and the FIP World Congress. The Foundation will collaborate with ECPG and FIP Regional Forum representatives to select a participant from each region. These individuals will also receive ongoing mentoring and support and are expected to rise to leadership roles in their country professional organization and in FIP.
To learn more about the Leadership Development Scholarships and application process, please click here.
Congratulations to the six recipients of the ECLD Scholarship 2025:
Western Pacific Region (John Ware Leadership Scholar)
Micko D. De Guzman is a pharmacist and a Master of Arts in Health Professions Education (MAHPEd) student at the National Teacher Training Center for the Health Professions, University of the Philippines Manila. His work focuses on curriculum development, instructional design, and research in pharmacy education, particularly, pharmacists career related studies. He currently serves as President of the Young Pharmacists Group (YPG) Philippines, and as Pioneer Faculty and OIC Program Chair for the BS Pharmacy program at the College of Health Sciences, Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna. He contributes to national initiatives in pharmacy associations, including committee work with the Philippine Pharmacists Association (PPhA).
“Attending the FIP Congress is truly a dream come true for me. I am deeply grateful to the FIP Foundation for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in the 84th FIP World Congress in Montreal, Canada through the 2026 Early Career Leadership Development (ECLD) Scholarship. This opportunity strengthens my commitment to continue working for the advancement of pharmacy education and to support the growth of young pharmacists in our profession. Through this Congress, I look forward to learning from global leaders, meeting fellow pharmacists from different countries, and exchanging ideas that can help improve pharmacy practice in our communities. I am proud to represent the Philippines and to bring back meaningful insights, experiences, and connections that can help contribute to the development of our pharmacy workforce. I hope to use what I will learn from this Congress to continue supporting leadership, collaboration, and professional growth to all pharmacists in our country. More than anything, I look forward to learning, sharing, and building friendships with pharmacists from around the world who share the same goal of improving healthcare through our profession”.
American Region
Vinícius Soares Ribeiro is a pharmacist and PhD candidate in the Postgraduate Programme in Health and Decision Models at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB). He teaches in continuing professional development initiatives of the Brazilian Federal Council of Pharmacy and serves as Secretary of the Clinical Pharmacy Committee of the Regional Pharmacy Council of Paraíba. With experience implementing and strengthening pharmaceutical care services within Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS), he advocates closer integration between academia and health services to reduce medicine-related morbidity and mortality and to support safer, more effective, and more equitable health systems.
“I am deeply grateful to the FIP Foundation for Education and Research for awarding me the Early Career Leadership Development Scholarship. This opportunity reinforces my commitment to expanding patient-centred pharmaceutical care within Brazil’s Unified Health System and to strengthening pharmacists’ clinical practice to improve health outcomes, patient safety, and quality of care in the Brazilian and wider Latin American context. With this support, I aim to further integrate practice, continuing professional development, and professional governance, contributing to safer, more effective, and more equitable services and to advancing the pharmacist’s role in building stronger, more responsive health systems for all.”
European Region
Gamze Nur Songur is a hospital pharmacist at the Mardin Training and Research Hospital in Türkiye and a master’s student in Clinical Pharmacy at Ankara University, Faculty of Pharmacy. Throughout her academic years, she held various roles in both national and international pharmaceutical associations, leading and contributing to numerous projects for the benefit of her colleagues. She is deeply committed to maintaining her professional activity and aims to meaningfully contribute to advancing the pharmacy profession through continuous development and leadership.
“Empowering early-career pharmacists is the key to transforming global healthcare. I am honoured to use this scholarship to develop leadership skills that will contribute to the future of pharmaceutical sciences. FIP is providing me with an unforgettable milestone in my career; I will carry this support throughout my professional life and look forward to contributing back to the Foundation in the future. After all, early-career pharmacists are the hope of our collective future.”
South East Asian Region
Dr P. Ranadheer Chowdary is an academician, clinical researcher, and leader in Pharmacy Practice, currently heading the department at St. Peter’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hanamkonda. He holds a Ph.D. (2020, High Commendation) and Pharm.D, with expertise in clinical research, evidence-based medicine, and pharmacometrics. He has held key leadership roles in professional bodies and contributed over 90 publications with strong citation metrics (h-index: 12). His research spans tuberculosis, diabetes, COVID-19, and hypertension. Actively involved in pharmacovigilance, academic development, and international collaborations, he has received multiple national and international awards for advancing pharmacy education and research.
“I am deeply honoured to receive the Early Career Leadership Development Scholarship from the FIP Foundation for Education and Research. I sincerely thank the Foundation for recognising my work and for investing in my professional growth. This support will further strengthen my commitment to advancing clinical pharmacy practice, research, and global healthcare outcomes. I look forward to contributing meaningfully to the international pharmacy community.”
African Region
Daniel Freeman Owusu Ansah is a clinical pharmacist and Head of the Surgery Pharmacy Unit at the University of Ghana Medical Centre. He also serves as an active member of the hospital’s antimicrobial stewardship committee. His professional interests focus on antimicrobial stewardship and operational research, and he has led several initiatives aimed at optimizing antibiotic use and strengthening stewardship practices within the hospital. Daniel is committed to advancing leadership within the pharmacy profession and contributing to efforts that address public health challenges, particularly antimicrobial resistance, in Ghana and beyond.
“I am truly grateful to the FIP Foundation for the honour of receiving the 2026 ECLD Scholarship and the opportunity to attend the 84th FIP World Congress. This recognition is both humbling and inspiring, marking an important milestone in my journey as a clinical pharmacist. I look forward to learning from global leaders, exchanging ideas with colleagues from around the world, and further strengthening my leadership capacity. I am honoured to represent the Africa region and to apply the knowledge and connections gained to advance antimicrobial stewardship and pharmaceutical practice in Ghana and beyond.”
Eastern Mediterranean Region
Iqra Zafar is a dedicated Clinical Pharmacist and Certified Healthcare Quality Professional (CHQP) specialising in oncology and haematology. Currently serving at the National Institute of Blood Diseases and Bone Marrow Transplantation, I focus on evidence-based medication management and patient safety. My expertise includes aseptic compounding, clinical interventions, and healthcare quality improvement. With a background in pharmaceutical research and international collaborations, I am committed to advancing pharmacy practice on a global scale.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the FIP Foundation for giving me a chance to receive the FIP Early Career Leadership Development scholarship. This award is truly valuable and will significantly help me excel in my career and leadership journey ahead. Attending FIP Congress in Montreal Canada, will give me opportunities to engage with the global leaders. I will not let any opportunities slip away. I will definitely make the most of my time in Montreal so that I will be equipped with new knowledge and skills to be implemented in my home country. The mission is not only for my professional growth but also the improvement of pharmaceutical care and service in all pharmacy sectors in Pakistan.”
Congratulations to the 2026 CPS ECLD scholarship recipient:
Emily Ditari Sika is a community pharmacist from Nigeria with a strong passion for systems transformation and equitable healthcare delivery. She has actively participated in several community outreach programs across her home country, contributing to efforts aimed at bridging the quality healthcare gap in underserved communities. During her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program, she led an interdisciplinary team in implementing a social intervention focused on raising awareness about gender-based violence in a rural community. This initiative sought to reduce the incidence of gender-based violence cases presenting in health facilities while also promoting access to support services for survivors.
“I received this year’s CPS ECLD Scholarship with deep gratitude and a strong sense of responsibility. For me, this opportunity represents a chance to broaden my horizons and achieve greater impact. Beyond personal growth, I hope to inspire positive change—particularly among early-career pharmacists like myself—and contribute to meaningful transformations in our societies, from the grassroots to the global stage.”
Ton Hoek Scholarship:
Honoring Ton Hoek: This scholarship is named after the late General Secretary of FIP, Mr A.J.M. (Ton) Hoek (1955-2012). Many leaders in FIP donated to create this scholarship in his memory. Ton Hoek was born in The Hague, in 1955 and studied Pharmacy at the State University of Leiden in the Netherlands. From 1999 until he passed away in 2012, Ton Hoek was the General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of FIP, the International Pharmaceutical Federation. He is remembered for his dedication and service to FIP and the pharmacy profession.
The Foundation will continue to provide the annual Ton Hoek Scholarship for travel to FIP World Congress. This award recipient will receive travel support to participate in the annual ECPG Leadership Development Workshop and the FIP World Congress. These individuals will also receive ongoing mentoring and support and are expected to rise to leadership roles in their country professional organization and in FIP.
To learn more about the Ton Hoek Scholarship and application process, please click here.
Congratulations to the 2026 recipient:
Diana Dalisay Orolfo is a pharmacist, public health practitioner, academic leader, and researcher from the Philippines. She serves as Associate Professor and Program Director of the Master in Public Health Program at the School of Advanced Studies, De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute. She is an Australia Awards JBI Fellow for Evidence Synthesis and Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Journal of Public Health Practice, a peer-reviewed journal focused on health policy and systems research, implementation science, and public health practice across Asia. Her work focuses on strengthening health systems, advancing evidence-informed policy, improving access to medicines and pharmaceutical services, and expanding the role of pharmacists in public health. She has contributed to national initiatives in universal health care, tobacco cessation, tuberculosis, and immunisation.
She serves as the only pharmacist member of the Department of Health Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Scientific Advisory Group of Experts and holds key leadership roles, including serving as Executive Vice President (President-Elect) of the Young Pharmacists Group–Philippines, Co-Chair of the Philippine Pharmacists Association Advocacy Committee, and Co-Lead of the Technical Working Group for the Review of the Philippine Pharmacy Act.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Ton Hoek Scholarship for Young Leaders. This recognition reflects not only my journey, but the growing role of Filipino pharmacists in advancing public health, evidence-informed practice, and health systems strengthening. I am grateful to the FIP Foundation for Education and Research, FIP ECPG, and everyone who made this opportunity possible. I hope to carry this recognition forward by helping build a pharmacy profession that is more visible, empowered, and meaningfully engaged in advancing health for all.”
Please click here to see information on past recipients.
