Kozminski University and Novo Nordisk Pharma Poland have signed a cooperation agreement that will result in the launch of an international edition of the postgraduate programme “Conducting and Monitoring Clinical Trials – online”. Delivered under Novo Nordisk’s substantive patronage, the programme aims to educate future professionals and leaders in the clinical trials sector – one of the most promising and innovative areas of life science worldwide.
The partnership between Kozminski University and Novo Nordisk, and the launch of the international edition of “Conducting and Monitoring Clinical Trials – online”, form part of a broader strategy to strengthen Poland’s clinical trials sector through systematic education of specialists, knowledge transfer from practitioners, and the promotion of the highest international standards in clinical research.
“For more than 15 years, we have been developing competencies at the intersection of management, law, and innovation in healthcare. Our partnership with Novo Nordisk allows us to translate this experience into a programme that combines academic knowledge with operational practice and standards, preparing participants for the real challenges of the clinical trials market,” says Prof. Grzegorz Mazurek, Rector of Kozminski University.
“At Novo Nordisk, we believe that responsibility for the future of healthcare begins with investing in people and competencies. Clinical trials are the foundation of medical innovation, which is why we want to actively support the development of professionals who will conduct them in line with the highest scientific and ethical standards. Our partnership with Kozminski University is a natural step towards building a strong life science ecosystem in Poland – based on knowledge, practice, and scientific exchange,” emphasises Magdalena Paradzińska, General Manager, Novo Nordisk Pharma Poland.
Poland as an Important Clinical Trials Hub in the Global Ecosystem
In 2024, Poland accounted for 2.68% of the commercial clinical trials market, ranking 9th globally. Poland’s commercial clinical trials market is currently valued at over USD 2.2 billion, compared to approximately USD 1.4 billion in 2020. This represents significant growth over a relatively short period of time and an increasing role of clinical trials as one of the pillars of national research and development expenditure.[1]
Poland also plays a key role in Novo Nordisk’s research and development strategy. Warsaw is home to the Clinical Development Centre – the largest organisation of its kind within the company’s structures. In 2025, the Clinical Development Centre conducted 83 clinical trials involving more than 5,200 patients across 13 countries. Novo Nordisk clinical trials are conducted in more than 1,100 sites, some of which run several research projects simultaneously.
Novo Nordisk conducts clinical trials across a broad range of therapeutic areas, including both high-prevalence diseases and rare conditions. In Poland, research projects are implemented, among others, in the areas of diabetes, obesity disease – ne of the most intensively developing research directions – haemophilia, cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis and heart failure, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
Practice-Based Knowledge as the Foundation of the New Programme
“The clinical trials market in Poland is entering a maturity phase, in which competitiveness is increasingly determined not by individual investments but by the quality of human capital. Growing regulatory complexity and pressure for operational efficiency mean we need well-prepared specialists already at the entry stage – people who will have a real impact on how the market functions in the coming years. The strength of this programme lies in its practical character: classes are delivered by experienced leaders from the clinical trials industry, representatives of research centres, and the academic community – people who not only conduct trials today but also shape their future. I see Novo Nordisk’s partnership in this initiative as an investment in the long-term quality and stability of the clinical trials ecosystem,” adds Paweł Orzeł, Senior Director, Head of Clinical Development Centre Poland at Novo Nordisk and a lecturer at Kozminski University.
The postgraduate programme “Conducting and Monitoring Clinical Trials – online” has been designed as a response to real labour market needs. It prepares participants for work in clinical trials by combining regulatory knowledge, practical operational skills, and an ethical approach aligned with international ICH-GCP standards. The programme is intended for individuals planning or developing a career in the clinical trials sector, in particular: graduates of natural sciences programmes starting their career in clinical research; nurses, pharmacists, and other medical and related professionals; junior doctors interested in working in clinical trials; junior employees in CROs and in pharmaceutical, biotech, or medtech companies; PhD candidates, holders of a doctoral degree, or postdoctoral fellows; regulatory affairs and quality assurance (QA) specialists.
Photo: Tomasz Ginter
[1] “Commercial Clinical Trials in Poland. Market Changes Analysis up to 2024.” Report prepared at the request of: the Związek Pracodawców Innowacyjnych Firm Farmaceutycznych INFARMA, the Polski Związek Pracodawców Firm Prowadzących Badania Kliniczne na Zlecenie (POLCRO), and the Stowarzyszenie na Rzecz Dobrej Praktyki Badań Klinicznych w Polsce (GCP). Warsaw; 2025. Available online:https://www.infarma.pl/assets/files/2025/REPORT-ICT_PL-PL_22-8.pdf
