On March 6, 2024, as part of its ongoing lecture series, the Antoon Mostaert Center for Mongolian Studies hosted a lecture by G. Zulbaatar, the research and program coordinator of the International Center for the Study of Nomadic Cultures under UNESCO’s patronage, a doctoral candidate and faculty member at the National University of Mongolia (NUM), and one of the first students of the "Student Researcher" scholarship program. The lecture was titled "Healing through Culture: Mongolian Healing and Ritual Practices."

              In the beginning of the lecture, G. Zulbaatar explained the concept of medical anthropology and discussed the origins of traditional folk medicine. He introduced the complex, layered social structure of healthcare systems, categorizing them into three main sectors: popular, folk, and professional medicine. He also referenced a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), which found that 170 member countries of the organization use traditional medicine, covering 65% of the world’s population. This implies that a significant portion of the global population uses natural resources to produce traditional medicines for primary healthcare.

            Zulbaatar continued by presenting the results of his fieldwork conducted in 25 soums (districts) across 10 provinces of Mongolia. He emphasized the importance of scientifically studying the knowledge that is deeply rooted in cultural practices of healing, especially the local knowledge that has evolved into a distinct form of folk medicine. He also noted the necessity of regulating the use of rare wildlife, birds, and plants in traditional healing practices to ensure sustainability.

           At the end of the lecture, students engaged with the speaker by asking interesting questions and sharing their own experiences with healing and ritual practices they use in their lives. The lively discussion continued, and the lecture lasted for 1 hour and 30 minutes.