This article was originally published by the UTS Graduate School of Health is republished here with their permission.
Shilpa Thakur details her fascinating journey from Chandigarh in Northern India all the way to a full-time professional Quality Assurance leadership role in the Tasmanian dairy industry.
Due to her twin interests in technology and biology, Shilpa Thakur decided to do her degree in Biotechnology at Panjab University. It was during her undergraduate studies that she grew fascinated in medical microbiology, so her pathway after graduating led her to pursue post graduate studies in Microbiology at Himachal Pradesh University. Here she met several Quality Assurance (QA) personnel from the pharmaceutical industry and a new seed began to grow in her mind.
“After talking with them, I got really interested in focusing my career on QA, particularly to support the food and drug industries. My first role after that was as a QA Executive at Fresenius Kabi in India,” she explains.Although she enjoyed the role, she became increasingly aware of the need for increased knowledge about quality management systems and good manufacturing practice in India. She began to wonder if she might be able to pursue further studies on the topic to boost both her abilities and career opportunities. A quick internet search later, and she discovered the UTS Graduate School of Health (GSH) ran the only full-fledged Master in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) in the Asia-Pacific region and decided to find out more.
Fast forward two years and Shilpa is thrilled to have graduated from her Master in GMP, and even more thrilled to have immediately got a full-time role as a Dairy Quality Assurance Leader with TasFoods Limited in Tasmania, Australia.
“I spend most of my time at the TasFoods Burnie Dairy site, but am also responsible for QA at Kings Meadows Dairy and Pyengana Dairy,” she says.
I am a very proud student of UTS. If you’re interested in excelling in the food and drug industries then the Master of Good Manufacturing Practice will give you the wings to fly!
Shilpa Thakur
Dairy Quality Assurance Leader, TasFoods Ltd
UTS Master of Good Manufacturing Practice alumna
“The role is really varied and I’m excited to have the opportunity to implement quality management systems and food safety programmes in not just one, but three different sites. It’s a wonderful challenge to so swiftly be able to implement my new skills and knowledge.”
When Shilpa first joined the GMP course at UTS, she wasn’t sure what to expect, but says it exceeded her expectations.
“The best part of the course, was when I got the chance to do my research project at AstraZeneca, a GMP regulated pharmaceutical company,” she continues.
“It was hugely challenging but I finished my project successfully under the guidance of my AstraZeneca mentors who were incredibly supportive and provided me with all the GMP training I needed.”
One of the things that impressed Shilpa most about GSH was the quality of the teaching and facilities. “I appreciated every minute I spent with my teachers, Dr Kamal Dua, Dr Rick Ng and Jacqueline Berry. They helped me stay on track and their experience and knowledge contributed a lot to both my personal development and professional growth,” she says.
“With their help, perseverance and guidance, I found my current employment. I could never have imagined getting his job without their support.”
Now settling into her new role, Shilpa says she would unreservedly recommend the course to anyone interested in QA.
“I am a very proud student of UTS. If you’re interested in excelling in the food and drug Industries then the Master of Good Manufacturing Practice will give you the wings to fly!” she says.
Interested? Find out more about studying Good Manufacturing Practice at the Graduate School of Health.
