Every year, the Amgen Scholars Europe Program provides 75 selected undergraduate students throughout Europe with the opportunity to engage in a hands-on research experience at many of Europe’s top educational institutions. Currently, five institutions in Europe host the summer research program. The Amgen Foundation has committed
74 million US dollars over sixteen years to this global initiative to make the opportunity possible for thousands of students. During this program the Innovation and Start-up Center Biotechnology (IZB) and the start-up SIRION Biotech were presented by Dr. Zobel, ­Managing Director of the IZB, and Dr. ­Christian Thirion, CEO of SIRION Biotech. A signature component of the summer program is a symposium hosted at the University of Cambridge where students hear first-hand from leading scientists working in industry and academia. The European symposium provides students with a valuable opportunity to discuss their research, learn about drug discovery and development, and network with other Amgen Scholars from Europe.