The latest news & updates from the Asian Association of Veterinary Schools
IN THIS ISSUE

by Prof. Je Kyung Seong, Seoul National University Esteemed Members of the Asian Dear Associations of Veterinary Schools (AAVS), It is a tremendously great honor for Seoul National University to serve as the AAVS president. AAVS, established in 2001, has made great efforts to contribute to excellence in veterinary sciences with more than 40 active members across Asia. I would like to sincerely express my gratitude to the previous executive committee who dedicated their time improving AAVS. AAVS will keep striving to enhance quality educational programs, research publications, and the veterinary profession discipline to fulfill Strategic Plan 2022-2026. Shared our knowledge, mutual support, and collaborative efforts will enable AAVS members to seize opportunities for sustainable growth and innovation. AAVS will also commit to build and strengthen international collaboration with diverse global veterinary associations to discuss and support One Health and advance veterinary sciences comprehensively. l am confident that AAVS will become even more influential, and our impact will be greater from working together. I strongly encourage you to participate actively in AAVS regular meetings for fruitful discussions and engage with fellow members. Your enthusiasm and expertise are the driving forces behind our collaborative success. I very much look forward to learning from unique perspectives of each member to enrich and expand our community. l am also very happy to invite all of you to Seoul for the FAVA Congress/AAVS annual meeting in 2024. See you soon and wishing your great happiness. Respectfully, Je Kyung Seong, D.V.M., Ph.D., DKCLAM Dean and Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University
by Prof. Takashi Matsuwaki, the University of Tokyo
What is the new Secretary General like?
I am Takashi Matsuwaki, from the University of Tokyo, Japan. It is my great honor that I have a chance to work with friends from all over Asia as the Secretary General of AAVS. I am a neurophysiologist, focusing on reproductive neuroscience and thermoregulation systems. In the past few years, I have been managing the  Kei-Ichiro  Maeda  Memorial  T&C  Award  (former name: Ise Award) in AAVS. This award was founded in 2019 to encourage young researchers in Asia with excellent scientific achievements in the field of veterinary sciences. The nominees were all talented and promising. I will make my best effort to provide them with a chance to cherish and develop their possibilities, which is one of our important missions.
Up-to-Date AAVS
AAVS keeps growing. Currently, 54 institutions from 16 countries are participating in AAVS. More and more institutions are joining us. This year, AAVS signed an MoU with FAVA (Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations) during the 21st Annual Meeting of AAVS in Sapporo, Japan. I believe that this MoU will be a big help in broadening our activities for the promotion of education and research in the field of veterinary medicine in Asia. We are always open to suggestions from AAVS members about our activities for both education and research.
AAVS Newsletter in NEW STYLE
The AAVS Newsletter published its first issue in 2021. The scope of this letter is to share and update information on the latest issues of veterinary medicine not only in Asia but also all over the world. The timing of publication was irregular and 4 editions have been published so far. Starting with the present edition, we will try to publish it twice per year, autumn/winter and spring/summer with the assistance of AAVS fellows from The University of Tokyo and the World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH/OIE) Regional Representation for Asia and Pacific. Your contribution is most welcome. As for the editorial board and instructions for the authors, please visit the AAVS website (Members Platform).
For the next 3 years
My term as the Secretary General of AAVS will run through the autumn of 2026. Hopefully, I will have as many opportunities as possible to have discussions with AAVS members on anything regarding veterinary medicine. I am willing to devote myself to AAVS activities, including the enhancement of education systems, exchange programs for graduate/undergraduate      students,   international research collaborations, etc. I would deeply appreciate your assistance in these activities.
by Prof. Takashi Haga, the University of Tokyo Reflections on my term of four years as the Secretary General At the Annual Assembly Meeting of AAVS held in Malaysia in July 2019, I was appointed as the Secretary General. Looking back over the past four years of my term as the Secretary General (in addition to the usual three-year term, with a special one-year extension due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the activities of the AAVS have been greatly revitalized thanks to the efforts of everyone involved. This is due not only to the tremendous effort of the AAVS members, but also to the passion for the AAVS of everyone involved, including distinguished members of the World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH) Regional Representation for Asia and the Pacific (RRAP), especially Dr. Maho Urabe. I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to serve as the Secretary General at this juncture. AAVS is tasked to facilitate exchange of educational and scientific information. Until 2019, such exchanges were mainly conducted during the annual AAVS meeting. In the year of 2020, the annual meeting was postponed due to the pandemic of COVID-19, but instead our online activities began. The first online meeting was an extraordinary Executive Committee (EC) meeting, in which the virtual seminar on “Veterinary Education in the time of COVID-19” was proposed. The seminar provided a meaningful opportunity to share information and exchange opinions on the veterinary education at each university. This success led to a number of online seminars, with the strong support of WOAH RRAP. 2021 saw the first annual meeting held online, and bylaws were revised for clarifying AAVS membership etc. In 2022, a strategic plan was developed and two working groups as well as a joint committee with FAVA were formed to implement the plan. The 2022 Annual Assembly Meeting was also held online, and there was some discussion about how to elect the EC members. With this regard, an operational document has been developed that increases transparency and allows for wider cooperation among AAVS members and has become effective in 2023. The 2023 Annual Assembly Meeting was the first face-to-face meeting in four years, and many members were happy to see each other again in Sapporo. It was also the first Annual Meeting held in a hybrid format, with an online platform for easier access for all AAVS members who were unable to travel to the venue. At the time, a signing ceremony of the FAVA-AAVS MoU was held, and further cooperation between the AAVS and FAVA is expected. I have handed over the Secretary Generalship of the AAVS to Dr. Matsuwaki, a young hopeful, after the Annual Meeting of 2023, but I will continue to support the activities of the AAVS as the President of the AAVS Office, a legal establishment in Japan. I would like to thank everyone for their cooperation and wish for the further development of AAVS. Thank you very much.
The new AAVS Executive Committee Members are listed below. Executive Committee members shall serve until the annual meeting of that year.
The 21st AAVS Meeting was organized in a hybrid format from 12-13 September 2023 in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, co-organized with and hosted by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University and in association with WOAH’s meeting on veterinary education and workforce development on 11 September. The program consisted of an Executive Committee Meeting, two working group sessions, and an Assembly Meeting (Administrative session) of our own, as well as a One Health joint symposium co-organized with Hokkaido University. Additionally, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations (FAVA) and AAVS was signed in this meeting. For more details, please see the report of this meeting on the AAVS website or click the links in the table below.
- VETERINARY EDUCATION RESEARCH (VER) - by Prof. Hafsa Zaneb, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan The AAVS working group on Veterinary Education Research (VER-WG) was established in January 2022 foster collaboration and networking among to veterinary educational researchers in the region, and to support AAVS member institutions towards developing evidence-based policies. As of December 2023, the VER-WG has 92 members, out of which 12 have been supporting the group functions as members of the Core Group. The group has been actively engaging its members as well as the faculty from the AAVS member institutions through a diverse set of activities. In May 2022, we organized an international webinar ‘Vet Ed Research in Asia: Potential way forward'. We invited two eminent veterinary educationalists, Professor Dr Ayona Silva-Fletcher and Professor Dr Elizabeth  Armitage-Chan  from  the  Royal  Veterinary College, UK, to share their experiences with the audience. During the webinar, Dr Hafsa Zaneb (VER- WG Chair; UVAS Pakistan) presented the findings of a recently conducted survey to document the status of initiatives related to veterinary educational research among AAVS member institutions. More details are found on the event page. Since October 2022, the group has been meeting on a quarterly basis to review its progress as well as to offer CPD opportunities to its members. The first CPD event ‘Reflections and responses in clinical skill teaching and assessment to COVID-19: a global survey' was facilitated by Dr Rebecca Parkes, City U Hong Kong (Core Group member). Dr Lalanthi De Silva (University of Peradeniya Sri Lanka; Core Group member) provided organizational support. In the second CPD event, 'Introduction to Quantitative and Qualitative Research Paradigms in (Vet) Educational Research', Dr. Hafsa Zaneb was the resource person and Dr. Marianne Leila Flores (University of the Philippines Los Baños, Philippines; Core Group member) organized the event. Dr. Lalanthi de Silva was our resource person for the third CPD event ‘Problem-Based Learning'. Dr. Rebecca Parkes provided organizational support for this event. For the last CPD event, ‘Teaching of Clinical Skills’ Dr. Rebecca Parkes (St George’s University, Grenada) was our resource person. Another successful initiative by the group is the launch of a ‘Journal Club’. This club is hosted by Dr. Fajar Shodiq Permata (Universitas Brawijaya Indonesia; Core Group member) with support from Dr Mark Jaypee Gonzales (Central Bicol State University of Agriculture, Philippines). The club members meet every month to review and discuss published research in the field of Veterinary Education. The club has successfully provided a platform for its members to gain a deeper understanding of the current topics in veterinary educational research. In September 2023, the group organized the ‘1st VetEd Asia’ on the side-lines of the AAVS Annual Meeting in Sapporo, Japan. The event showcased original research findings by researchers from AAVS member institutions and was very well received by the AAVS community. Please visit the AAVS website for the abstract book and presentation recordings. In the years to come, the VER-WG is committed to provide professional development and networking opportunities that are exciting to its members!
- VETERINARY EDUCATION ENHANCEMENT (VEE) - by Drs. Takayuki Nakagawa and Ryota Tochinai, the University of Tokyo on behalf of the past and new working group chairs and co-chairs The objectives of the VEE group have been established   in accordance with the AAVS Strategic Plan. The objectives are i) enhance veterinary education in Asia, ii) promote and facilitate harmonization of veterinary education in Asia, especially on topics of global and regional interest, and iii) enhance collaboration and cooperation among AAVS Members and with various regional stakeholders on veterinary education. In the 21st AAVS Annual Meeting, recent progress by the VEE group was reported by Prof. Abdul Rahman Omar, Universiti Putra Malaysia (Past Chair) and Prof. Fang-Chia Chang, National Taiwan University (Past Co- chair).
Activities in 2022-2023
To achieve these objectives, the following A-E activities for 2022-2023 were planned. A. Facilitate resource sharing B. Develop core curriculum, assessment tools, and/or teaching materials (e.g., case study) on specific topic(s) of regional/global importance C. Organize scientific or educational events D. Facilitate information/experience sharing
E. Collaborate with other organizations
Examples of Activity Achievements • Interschool Lecture Round 2023 The Interschool Lecture Round 2023 was opened online in collaboration with Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia. Educational presentations were given on African Swine Fever, Avian Influenza, and Rabies. 25- 300+ participants attended the lectures. Recordings are available on the AAVS Website for members. o “Socioeconomic and Livelihood Impacts of African Swine Fever and Its Control in the Philippines" Dr. Mark  Jaypee  C.  Gonzales,  Central  Bicol  State University of Agriculture, Philippines, 5 June 2023 o “Surveillance tools for Avian influenza virus in migratory wild birds and poultry" Dr. Shahan Azeem, University of Veterinary and Animal Science, Pakistan, 21 June 2023 o “One Health approach for enhancing Rabies-free community in Thailand" Dr. Waraphon Phimpraphai, Kasetsart University, Thailand, 5 September 2023 •  Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in veterinary education webinar (June 2023) Education webinar for DEI was moderated by Prof. Pan-Dong Ryu, Seoul National University and the following presentations were delivered. o “Standing at the Intersection of Veterinary Medicine & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" Dr. Lisa M. Greenhill, American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges o “Importance of developing cultural competency in veterinary education" Dr. Lubna Nasir, University of Glasgow o “Initiatives related to DEI of AAVS Member Institutions” Dr. Mark Jaypee C. Gonzales, Central Bicol State University of Agriculture, Philippines o Experience sharing: DEIB initiative at UVAS Lahore Pakistan, Dr. Hafsa Zaneb, University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences o Experience sharing: DEI at Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine And Life Sciences (JCC), Dr. Alan McElligott, City University of Hong Kong Presentation copies are available on the AAVS website.
• VEE Working Group Session at the 21st Annual
Meeting of AAVS
Moderated by Dr. Fang-Chia Chang, National Taiwan University, past AAVS Vice-President, past Co-chair of VEE Working Group and Dr. Koichi Sato, Yamaguchi University, Chair of FAVA Subcommittee on Veterinary Education, Chair of FAVA-AAVS Joint Education Committee, the session covered the following topics. o Veterinary education in Asia Dr Koichi Sato, Yamaguchi University, Japan o Development and application of Southeast Asia Veterinary School Accreditation Standards Dr. Khongsak Thiangtu, President of SEAVSA Dr. Prawit Butudom, Secretariat of SEAVSA and AVSBN o Discussion – Development of accreditation standards for Asia, and AAVS-FAVA collaboration o Signing of FAVA-AAVS MoU FAVA President and AAVS President New VEE Working Group team for 2024-2025 – call for expression of interest to join the working group The working group will be headed by Dr. Noraine P. Medina, Dean of the College of Veterinary Science and Medicine, Central Luzon State University, co- chaired by Dr. Bi-Ling Su, Dean of School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University for the 2024-2025 period. The concept note of the working group is available HERE. Members of VEE-WG will be coming from active members of AAVS. All interested faculty members from AAVS Member Institutions are welcome to join the group. Please file your Expression of Interest by answering HERE. There will be a quarterly virtual meeting, otherwise, the primary mode of communication is via email. Members will be grouped according to their assigned task force. We appreciate your continued understanding and cooperation in the activities of the VEE Working Group.
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Lutfur Rahman, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University
Background
To produce skilled and competent veterinarians of national and international standard through offering the combined courses (Veterinary and Animal Sciences) including internship, the government of Bangladesh established the Chittagong Government Veterinary College, which began its journey on January 1996 by admitting 50 students in its first academic session under the faculty of Science, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Subsequently, being satisfied with the academic activities, congenial environment and quality educational system, the University of Chittagong upgraded this affiliated college into a separate Faculty of Veterinary Medicine with the approval of the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC). The Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) was established by the Act of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh on 7 August 2006 in order to confer the 5 (five) years' Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree and higher degrees on various other subjects/courses/fields and to enhance research and development in the field of Veterinary and Animal Sciences.
The Faculty
At present, there are 88 teachers in the faculty of Veterinary Medicine in various departments. The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) is a 5-year technical degree with a 1-year internship program. The faculty is led by a Dean who is appointed for 2 years on the basis of seniority of professors among the faculty members of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. The faculty offers various taught and practical courses through 9 departments (Anatomy and Histology; Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology; Animal Science and Nutrition; Microbiology and Veterinary Public Health; Pathology and Parasitology; Genetics and Animal Breeding; Dairy and Poultry Science; Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences and Medicine and Surgery). The faculty has inherited a newly updated syllabus with the latest teaching methodology of Problem Based Learning (PBL). Over the years, the faculty has been exchanging its students overseas in their internship program in reputable universities of the USA, Malaysia, Thailand, and India.
Undergraduate Admission
CVASU is a coeducational institution and admission to CVASU is highly competitive. The students after 12 class of schooling (Higher Secondary level) with a Science background can appear in the admission test. Under the umbrella of a cluster admission test of the agricultural universities held at the beginning of the academic year, CVASU offers admission to 100 qualifying students for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program. Importantly, the university maintains special provisions to provide admission for a specific number of students from the country's indigenous community to encourage them in higher education and learning.
31 December 2023 Expression of interest to join the AAVS VEE Working group is due.
11 January 2024
“Supporting Scholarship and Innovation in Veterinary Medical Education” – Virtual Information Session with Dr Regina Schoenfeld-Tacher, Editor in Chief of Journal of Veterinary Medical Education (JVME) 11am-12pm Japan standard time (UTC +9) 15 January 2024 The annual membership fee is due.
27 October 2024
The 22nd Annual Meeting of AAVS in Daejeon, Republic of Korea, in association with the 23rd Federation_ of Asian Veterinary Associations (FAVA) Congress, 25-27 October 2024.
Call for Newsletter Article Submissions The Editorial Team of the AAVS Newsletter is calling for the submission of articles/reports from AAVS members. Please see the Instructions for authors for details. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT AAVS Please visit the AAVS website ( https://aavs.jpn.org/ ) FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS ON NEWSLETTER Please contact us via Newsletter@aavs.jpn.org