About

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MoHW) of the Republic of Korea established the Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing (GTH-B) to provide training in the manufacturing of high-quality vaccines and biologics in an industrial setting, aiming to resolve inequality in access to vaccines and biologics worldwide by expanding manufacturing capacity in LMICs.

GTH-B is helping these countries by providing essential biomanufacturing training, aiming to expand the technical know-how and capability for sustainable vaccine R&D and manufacture in LMICs by facilitating vaccine manufacturing apprenticeships.

The GTH-B will operate four batches of hands-on training utilising public biomanufacturing facilities in the Republic of Korea. One of those is mRNA training program, a 7-week course (comprising a 3-week pre-training online module) held at the Korean National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (K-NIBRT), along with field visits to the Hwasun area (Korean Vaccine Center for Assisting Safety & Technology (K-VCAST)) and the Osong area (K-Bio or Ministry of Food and Drug Safety). The training targets 20 participants and focuses on mRNA vaccine manufacturing and regulatory affairs.

Objectives

• The purpose of the Hands-on Training is to enhance the technical knowledge and capabilities of vaccine and biopharmaceutical manufacturers from LMICs in the processes of vaccine research, development, and manufacturing. The focus is on providing extensive hands-on training in industrial facilities, enabling participants to gain practical experience and a deeper understanding of the intricacies involved in vaccine production.

• The training also supports participants in applying newly acquired skills to enhance vaccine production capabilities in their home institutions through strategic collaborations among local biomanufacturers, the Korean National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (K-NIBRT), Korean Vaccine Center for Assisting Safety and Technology (K-VCAST), K-Bio health OSONG Medical innovation Foundation (KBIO) or the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), thereby contributing to the ongoing enhancement of LMICs’ biomanufacturing capability.

Selection Criteria

• The selection process involves the following steps:

  • Eligible applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of members recommended by the MoHW of the Republic of Korea and WHO.

  • Once the selection process is complete, selected participants will be notified via email or on the website of the next steps and any required information.

  • Due to limited capacity, a maximum of 2 participants from each country will be selected. The decision will be made by the selection committee in collaboration with the home institution.

  • Institutions involved solely in animal vaccine production must provide a letter to GTH-B stating their institutional plan to expand into human vaccine production if they wish to send participants for training.

Application Requirements

• Applicants must provide the following information:

  • Personal information including nationality, country of residence, passport number, name, date of birth, gender, contact details, and others.

  • Information about the institution.

  • Information about educational background.

  • Information about work experience.

  • Information about English proficiency.

  • Information about GTH-B training history

• Applicants must upload the following documents:

  • A copy of their passport.

  • A letter of endorsement: A letter from the Director of the applicant’s institution confirming the applicant's capability to successfully undertake the training and certifying their current employment status. (A sample endorsement letter is available on the application page of the website.)

Eligibility

• Applicants must meet the following qualifications to be considered eligible for the training:

  • Be a citizen of, and resident in, an LMIC.

  • Be employed by a company registered as a legal entity in an LMIC conducting activities in the scope of biomanufacturing.

  • Hold a position in the company as a technician, engineer, scientist, or manager in biomanufacturing or a related field, with up to 6 years of experience.

  • Have an educational background in life sciences.

  • Have at least an intermediate level of proficiency in spoken and written English.

  • Demonstrate in the application how the acquired knowledge, skills and competencies during the training will be applied after the training in the institution from which the participant is coming.

Post Date: July 09, 2025