Uppsala students on excursions among Chinese folk medicine and pharmaceuticals of the future

“It was extremely interesting to learn more about the different forms of traditional medicines that exist in the world. This trip was simply perfect,” declares one of the twelve students who recently returned from the Faculty of Pharmacy's annual field trip to Taiwan. A valued tradition that, since its premiere in 2007, has given almost 200 future pharmaceutical experts the opportunity to explore the island's exciting mix of folk medicine and state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing.

“We have previously arranged trips to, among other countries, Sri Lanka and Egypt, but the fascinating melting pot of religion, traditional Chinese medicine and high-tech industry that Taiwan offers is hard to beat if you want to show the students the many different dimensions of pharmacy,” says Anders Backlund, Professor of Pharmacognosy , who, together with colleague Erik Jacobsson, arranged the trip within the framework of Uppsala University's electable course Global Pharmacy.

On site in Taiwan, an ambitious program awaits the Swedish students. For two weeks, they participate in everything from study visits at local pharmaceutical markets to guided tours through Orient Pharma's state of the art facilities for research and development. In addition, generous space is provided for cultural excursions, among them a hike on Monkey Mountain, a park with traces of 5000-year-old settlements.

“It was certainly a well-planned schedule that gave us the opportunity to discover both interesting medicinal cultures and amazing landscapes, not least Monkey Mountain which was a fascinating encounter. When I first read the program it felt over the top, but today I am so grateful for how much we actually experienced during our trip,” says another student.

The course in Global Pharmacy is among the most sought after in the Faculty of Pharmacy education catalogue. Every year, students from the Master and Bachelor of Science Programmes in Pharmacy as well as the Nursing Programme register, and the trip to Taiwan undoubtedly adds to the extensive interest. To date, the course management has been able to provide seats for everyone with wanderlust, and currently the 2024 excursion is evaluated with the ambition to make the offer for future students even more attractive.

“Each participant is asked to keep a diary with their reflections from the trip. This is valuable for the students, but also for us as we gain insights into their experiences, what works particularly well and what can be raised yet another level. New this year was that we were able to include two students who followed the course in spring 2023 – when the trip was cancelled due to the pandemic – and are currently doing their internship. This was highly appreciated and is something we hope to develop further," concludes Anders Backlund.

Text: Magnus Alsne, photo: private