Early Times Report
MOHALI, Feb 27: The Department of Natural Products, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, in collaboration with the Society for Ethnopharmacology (SFE), Kolkata, India, is jointly organizing the 13th International Congress of the Society for Ethnopharmacology and International Conference on Translational Research in Ethnopharmacology (SFEC-ICTRE 2026) - Integrating Traditional Medicine in Modern Healthcare from February 26-28, 2026, at the NIPER-Mohali, Punjab. The theme of the conference, "AI & Ethnopharmacology in Translational Research," seeks to bridge ancient traditional knowledge systems with modern scientific advancements and emerging technologies, fostering innovation in natural product research and drug discovery. The inaugural function was held today in the Institute Auditorium. Prof. Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.
Acharya Balkrishna, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Patanjali Ayurved Limited, attended as the Guest of Honour.
Prof. Dulal Panda, Director, NIPER, delivered the welcome address. He warmly welcomed the Chief Guest, Guest of Honour, distinguished speakers, delegates, and guests. In his address, he emphasized that the conference reflects a progressive vision of harmonizing traditional medicinal wisdom with modern biomedical science and advanced analytical technologies. He further stated that the event serves as a vibrant global platform for knowledge exchange, innovation, collaboration, and policy dialogue in the rapidly evolving domain of natural products and traditional medicine.
Prof. Sanjay M. Jachak, Organizing Secretary, SFEC-ICTRE 2026, presented an overview of the congress. Prof. Pulok Kumar Mukherjee, Founder, SFE-Kolkata, highlighted the vision and objectives of the event. Dr. C. K. Katiyar welcomed the dignitaries on behalf of the President, SFE.
The inaugural session also featured the SFE Award Ceremony and felicitation of the Systems Ethnopharmacology and Sustainable Bioresources (SESB) Editorial Team. The Harihar Mukherjee Memorial Award Oration was delivered by Acharya Balkrishna. This was followed by the address of the Chief Guest, Prof. Rabinarayan Acharya, who noted that the Bureau of Indian Standards is developing standards for ethnomedicines. He further emphasized that the present government is actively promoting traditional medicine, indicating a promising future for the sector. |
