The European Commission has renewed funding for the Erasmus Mundus Master on Translational Cosmetic and Dermatological Sciences, which is offered by the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and a consortium of European universities. This master, EMOTION, unique within the European Union, is a joint program that is two years in length and comprised of 120 ECTS credits. Program instruction is given in English and focuses on R&D, including transversal and transferable skills, and is aimed at university graduates of biotechnology, pharmacy, medicine, biology, and chemistry, among other similar programs.

The EMOTION mission is to train a future generation of scientists and translational professionals on skin care and new dermatological therapies, equipping them with the skills and expertise to work in R&D. To achieve this objective, the EMOTION consortium has been designed and structured to bring together a multidisciplinary group of professionals and researchers with strong backgrounds. The consortium consists of the University of Eastern Piemonte (UPO) in Italy, Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) in Spain, and the University of Namur (UNamur) in Belgium. Individuals from the UMH supporting participation in this consortium include Asia Fernández, the coordinator of the EMOTION master; Inmaculada Blaya, the director of the Service of International Relations, Development Cooperation and Volunteerism; and Vicente Micol Molina, the Vice Rector for Internationalization and Cooperation.

The first year of the program takes place in Italy, and during it students take courses on anatomy, physiology, dermatology, regulations, pharmaceutical technology, and medical chemistry, along with workshops on project management, drug discovery, and peculiarities of the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. During fall semester of the second year, its students gain the opportunity to either expand their knowledge on cosmetics research and preclinical pharmacy at the UMH or on clinical development at UNamur in Belgium.

Then, during spring semester of the second year, EMOTION students complete their final master’s projects while on stays at various industries that collaborate in the consortium or in academia. By program end, the expectation is that its students can actively contribute to the development of new useful compounds on skin care and on treatment for dermatological pathologies. The knowhow that EMOTION graduate attain will enable them to work in both pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, as well as at top research R&D centers. Health and well-being, including healthy aging, are priorities in today’s world. This program strives to stimulate its students with entrepreneurial inclinations, and therefore, to also venture forth in their very own businesses.