Students from the School of Pharmacy Win the Banque Populaire du Sud Foundation’s Youth Initiative Award

As part of the call for projects launched by the Banque Populaire du Sud Foundation, sixth-year pharmacy students distinguished themselves by winning the 1st Youth Initiative Award on September 26.

Committed to preserving cultural heritage—specifically the Droguier—the students responded to the call for projects for the Youth Initiatives Award in the Heritage category, organized by the Banque Populaire du Sud Foundation. Selected as the jury’s top pick among 30 participants, they were awarded a check for €2,000.

On December 8, the students will present their project at the Foundation’s headquarters during a ceremony honoring the winners’ particularly outstanding projects. At the event, they will receive a trophy in recognition of their commitment to heritage preservation.

The prize money is in addition to the €1,000 awarded through the University of Montpellier Foundation’s call for proposals. Together, these two awards will help fund the purchase of a 3D scanner, which is essential for continuing the herbarium digitization project.

Students involved in the drugstore

A total of 12 students regularly contribute to the digitization and cataloging of the Droguier collection. Initiated several years ago by Chantal Marion, the curator of the Droguier, this work is part of their sixth-year thesis project and aims to preserve this unique collection.

At the same time, students are actively involved in promoting this heritage through initiatives outside the School of Pharmacy.  “Several events are planned for 2024,” says Chantal Marion. “In particular, exhibitions at the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier and the Lattara Museum in Lattes. We also have a project in collaboration withthe Montpellier Opera, for which students will create a herbarium in the form of a painting.”