Ministers launch new veterinary postgrad

Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Michelle Gildernew MP MLA has today jointly launched with Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith TD a new Post-Graduate course for public health vets.

The new Post-Graduate course in Veterinary Public Health will be run jointly by the University of Ulster and University College Dublin (UCD). The two universities have undertaken a unique joint postgraduate qualification in Veterinary Public Health which meets the statutory needs for training of veterinary public health specialists.

Launching the course following today’s NSMC at Farmleigh House, Dublin, Minister Gildernew said: “Swine flu, Bird flu, Foot and Mouth and other diseases threaten human as well as animal health. A highly trained set of vets in public health is crucial to safeguarding our human food chain across the island of Ireland.

“We are both working towards an all-island animal health and welfare strategy which will further enhance co-operation and this type of shared training initiative will help in the implementation of the final policy once it is up and running.”

UCD has the only School of Veterinary Medicine in Ireland and through distance learning at the University of Ulster, has been running an MSc in Food Regulatory Affairs for a number of years. The EU regulation 85/2004 prompted the Departments of Agriculture in Dublin and Belfast to encourage the two universities to design and develop a specific programme in veterinary public health that could accommodate vets working fulltime in remote locations.

Notes to Editors

1. For more information visit: http://www.campusone.ulster.ac.uk/potential/postgraduate.php?ppid=28

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