Melbourne – 24 July 2024
AVBC is delighted to announce that at the AVBC meeting on 18 July 2024, the Council agreed to accredit the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) veterinary science program with minor deficiencies. The program will be accredited by AVBC until the next accreditation process is completed after the next scheduled visit in 2031, subject to the receipt of satisfactory annual reports.
Prof Emerita Rosanne Taylor, Co-Chair of AVBC’s Veterinary School Accreditation Advisory Committee (VSAAC) joined an EAEVE Site Visitation Team to assess the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden from 18-22 March this year. This was AVBC’s first participation in a collaborative accreditation visit with EAEVE, the European veterinary accreditation organisation. Prof Taylor evaluated the veterinary school against the AVBC Accreditation Standards and Methods (2024). During the site visit, the team met with staff and students and toured the facilities at the veterinary school’s Uppsala campus including the veterinary teaching hospital. Smaller groups also attended additional animal research, veterinary public health and teaching facilities. Prof Taylor acknowledged the encouragement and excellent support provided both by staff of SLU, who were keen to participate in this trial, and the assistance and guidance provided by the EAEVE team, particularly Professor Lekeux.
Dr Julie Strous, AVBC’s Executive Director said, “This accreditation is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the SLU faculty and students. We are pleased to recognise the program’s high standards and commitment to veterinary medicine.”
Rauni Niskanen, Dean of SLU’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science expressed her appreciation of the opportunity for the Faculty and its graduates to increase their international profile and contributions.
AVBC accreditation enables graduates to register as a veterinarian in Australia and New Zealand without further examination. The recognition is not retrospective in nature.
Congratulations to the staff and students at SLU.
For more information about the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council please contact: admin@avbc.asn.au or telephone the office on: + 61 3 9620 7844.
For more information about the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Veterinary Science Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, please contact: https://www.slu.se/en/faculties/vh/
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Veterinary Faculty, Uppsala, March 2024. Left to Right: Ms Julia PIETRASINA (student), Prof Begüm YURDAKÖK DIKMEN (basic sciences), Dr Alvaro MATEOS (veterinary public health, practitioner), Prof Sarah BAILLIE (quality assurance), Prof Maria Cristina VERONESI (companion animal clinical sciences), Prof Rauni Niskanen (Dean), Prof Pierre LEKEUX (ESEVT coordinator), Dr Christophe BUHOT (Chairperson, practitioner), Prof George STILWELL (food producing animal clinical sciences), Prof Emerita Rosanne TAYLOR (AVBC visitor), Prof Ivar Vagsholm (liaison officer), missing; Dr Anna BRÅDENMARK (Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Observer).
Notes for editors:
The Australasian Veterinary Boards Council (AVBC) has three core functions: to provide a forum for discussion, advice and co-operation among the veterinary boards in Australia and New Zealand; to encourage the standardisation and quality assurance of veterinary services to the community; and to assure and promote uniform educational standards through accreditation of veterinary schools, the Australasian Veterinary Examination, assessment of veterinary qualifications for migration and assessment of specialist qualifications.
The European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) has a primary objective to monitor the harmonisation of the minimum standards set down in the study programme for veterinary surgeons in European Union Directive 2005/36.
Veterinary School Accreditation Advisory Committee (VSAAC) is AVBC’s standing committee which is responsible for accreditation and recognition of veterinary programs (internationally and domestically).
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU): Based at the Uppsala campus, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science’s mission is to conduct high-quality academic research and teaching in the field of veterinary medicine and animal science in Sweden.