Evolving veterinary education for a safer world

In a rapidly changing world, veterinary education must face new challenges and continually evolve to meet societal demands in the field of prevention and control of diseases food security, food safety, public health and animal welfare. Appropriate education and training have a direct effect on the quality and performance of public and private components of Veterinary Services; therefore, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is considering the issue of initial and continuous veterinary education as part of its commitment to encouraging its Members to strengthen the animal health policies and activities of their national Veterinary Services. Well-educated public and private veterinarians who have received appropriate training will help the OIE to fulfil its global mission: improve animal health worldwide.

Evolving veterinary education for a safer world

This worldwide conference will take place at the Maison de la Chimie in Paris on 12, 13 and 14 October 2009.
The meeting will be an opportunity for deans or directors of veterinary training institutions and key national veterinary education policy makers from all over the world to exchange views on priorities for the content of academic courses, the main purpose being to reach consensus in order to recommend an updated veterinary curriculum to the international community. This should ensure that future graduates are increasingly able to work in an international environment, applying international standards for disease surveillance, veterinary public health, food safety and animal welfare. The conference will also provide a forum for discussing the involvement of national veterinary statutory bodies in the harmonisation of accreditation procedures for veterinary faculties, which would help foster recognition of the importance of veterinary activities for society as a whole at global level.