Between 22 and 26 November, Sechenov University hosted the International Online School ‘Identification, Development, and Standardisation of Natural Medicines’. This new training course was prepared by researchers and teachers of Sechenov University’s Institute of Pharmacy in co-operation with the Department of Strategic Development and Internationalization.

This English-language programme was designed for senior and graduate students, residents, and teachers at foreign medical and pharmaceutical universities. The participants included Guangdong Pharmaceutical University (Guangzhou, China), South Kazakhstan Medical Academy (Shymkent, Kazakhstan), Belarusian State Medical University (Minsk, Belarus), and Vitebsk State Medical University (Vitebsk, Belarus).

During the training sessions, the participants learnt about:

• new approaches to the identification of natural sources of biologically active compounds;
• development of medicinal products from natural materials;
• molecular genetic methods used to study medicinal plants;
• pharmacopoeial requirements for medicinal plants and herbal medicines;
• and newest standardisation methods.