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The School is now a part of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Faculty of Life Sciences, and will officially be known as the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº School of Pharmacy. The School will continue to provide undergraduate and postgraduate education in pharmaceutical science as well as undertaking world-leading research focused on advancing and understanding medicines and healthcare, and on creating new medicines.Ìý

Professor Anthony Smith, Dean of the School of Pharmacy (2006-2011), said: "In an era when higher education is facing the most severe challenges we have ever known in the UK, I am delighted that the School of Pharmacy Council has agreed on this step. As part of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº, the School will be able to invest in and develop its research, provide the best possible teaching and wider experience for students, and become a part of one of the world's most prestigious institutions. I am confident that The School of Pharmacy will thrive in this new environment"

Commenting on the merger Professor Sir John Tooke, Vice Provost (Health) and Head of the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº School of Life & Medical Sciences, added: "This is a very significant day in the histories of both organisations. I welcome the School of Pharmacy's staff and students to ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº. ÌýI am confident that this innovative new alliance will be mutually beneficial, drawing on the considerable complementary academic strengths of both institutions.

"Our mutual ambition is to build on existing collaborations to establish a major pharmacy research base of international renown and work with our new colleagues to enhance the excellent educational programmes and student experience already provided by the School."Ìý

Professor Anthony Smith, who has been Dean of the School of Pharmacy for five years, became Vice-Provost (Education) at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº on 1 January 2012, a post which will see him leading ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº's proposals to transform its education agenda. A new Dean of the School of Pharmacy has yet to be appointed. Dr Brian Pearce has taken on the role of Acting Director of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº School of Pharmacy. Dr Pearce's appointment will also take effect on 1 January.

¹û¶³Ó°Ôº has also invited Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones of Clapham, currently chair of the School of Pharmacy council, to be a member of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº's governing body.

Student applications to the School for 2012 entry will be processed by the School as normal. If the application is successful, students will be admitted in September exactly as planned. The School will not be moving location, but students will have access to ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº's central facilities including its libraries, IT resources and the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº student union, as well as those already offered by the School.

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