Aimed to strengthen and broad-base herbal science knowledge among the students, the Himalaya Drug Company, a leader in herbal healthcare, has introduced the Ayurveda Medical College (AMC) Connect initiative which is expected to go a long way in fostering the industry-academia alliance and provide a roadmap for the herbal-based alternative medicine to meet the emerging growth challenges.

As part of this initiative, Himalaya has partnered with Ayurveda colleges from across the country. Through AMC Connect, the company has chalked out plans to organize Rural Medical Camps in association with National Service Scheme Units of Ayurvedic Colleges, which includes general health check-ups and specialized camps for diabetes detection camps; Bone Mineral Density test. Continuous Medical Education (CME) workshops and seminars with guest lectures from eminent scholars will also be conducted. Public social awareness for blood donation; and afforestation are also held under the programme.

Further, the company instituted the 'Jivaka' and 'Ayurvisharada' awards to recognize academic excellence in 120 Ayurveda colleges across India. The awards are granted to the first and second rank holders in each of these colleges. It has recommended the 'Himalaya Infoline' a quarterly magazine for BAMS under-graduates. Under the co-curricular activities, sports and quiz are being held to sustain the interest in herbal sciences.

According to Philipe Haydon, president & CEO, Pharmaceuticals, The Himalaya Drug Company, the science of Ayurveda is gaining global recognition. Western countries and universities are actively promoting research on Indian herbs. If India has to retain its pride of place in the field of Ayurveda, we need to provide the right environment and opportunities to young minds.

"Our aim is to globalize Ayurveda and make it relevant to modern society. We are witnessing a significant change in attitude towards Ayurveda with the global medical fraternity accepting it as a complementary health system. The future of this 'traditional science' depends on the quality of students who will practice this system of medicine or conduct research in this field," he added.

The objective of these initiatives is to enhance knowledge and increase learning opportunities, through national level exposure and interaction with the larger student fraternity. Today, the calibre of students of Ayurveda branch is high and what is encouraging to see is that colleges are actively promoting partnerships with industry, to further improve the quality of education. As pioneers of contemporary Ayurveda, Himalaya strives to engage with the student community on a continuous basis in order to promote exchange of ideas, healthy interaction and debate, and increase competitiveness. The institute-industry partnership allows candidates keep pace with the needs of the industry, said Haydon

Last week, Himalaya had organized a national seminar on 'Essentials for Effective Ayurvedic Medical Practice' for Ayurveda students along with the Ayurwhiz-2009-10. A total of 6453 students from 162 colleges participated in the preliminary rounds at the state and zonal level. The four finalist national level teams: Ayurveda & Unani Tibbia College, New Delhi; Government Ayurvedic College, Balangir; Shree Gulabkunverba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, Jamnagar and SDM College of Ayurveda, Udupi were selected on the basis of a month-long exercise of state and zonal level contests. The contest is not just about winning, but about learning. We want students of Ayurveda to realize their potential and strive to greater heights, said Haydon.