Recently, second-year students from the Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, participated in an academic field visit to the Institute of Thai Traditional Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health. This activity was part of the course Selected Topics in Plant Science, under the supervision of Associate Professor Dr. Saroj Rujirawat Sakul, a faculty member of the department. The objective of the visit was to enhance students’ out-of-classroom learning experiences and to deepen their understanding of the role of medicinal plants in the public health system and the advancement of medical sciences in Thailand.
The activities of this field trip included lectures by expert researchers on the study and research of Thai medicinal plants, quality control of herbal products in laboratory settings, and the process of developing medicinal plants into health-related products. In addition, students visited various learning resources such as laboratories for the analysis of active compounds in herbs, the herbal museum, and the biodiversity plant specimen repository.
This field experience not only provided students with the opportunity to connect theoretical knowledge from the classroom with real-world practices, but also instilled in them an awareness of sustainable plant resource conservation and utilization. Furthermore, it served as a source of inspiration for future research in botany and medicinal plant sciences.
Such an initiative reflects the department’s commitment to promoting integrative learning and developing students’ competencies in both theoretical and practical dimensions, in order to prepare them to meet the challenges of contemporary scientific endeavors.
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