On the way to european accreditation: biosecurity ambassadors have taken up their duties at the faculty of veterinary medicine

   As part of the preparation of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine for accreditation by the European Association of Veterinary Education Institutions, representatives of the project team to develop the Instruction on Biosecurity at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine met with students and representatives of each of the faculty's structural units.

   The Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Academician of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine Mykola Tsvilikhovsky made an opening speech and underlined the need to implement modern approaches to biosecurity at the faculty.

   The next stage of the meeting was to familiarise the participants with the developed approaches to biosecurity and the strategy for their implementation. The presentation was made by the Coordinator of International Programmes of the Faculty, Professor Maryna Galat. During the presentation, the attention of students and lecturers was focused on such fundamental issues of implementing the biosecurity system as zoning, use of personal protective equipment, proper handling of biological objects and many others.

   As a result of the meetings, firstly with first and second year students, and then with third, fourth, fifth and sixth year students, the faculty selected and appointed biosecurity ambassadors. Their main function will be to introduce a biosecurity culture in each academic group.

   At the meetings with the responsible representatives from each structural subdivision of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine on biosecurity, the issues of systematic work to ensure biosecurity during the use of biological samples and chemicals in work and study, the development of Biosecurity Instructions in accordance with the needs of each structural subdivision, as well as the need to delimit zones and introduce information signs with markings in appropriate places to inform visitors to the faculty, students, lecturers and staff were discussed.

   The introduction of a corporate culture of biosecurity at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is taking place in the context of preparations for the faculty's accreditation by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education. At the same time, the interaction and training of the accreditation project team is supported by the international project ‘Improving Legislation, Food Safety, Animal Health and Welfare in Ukraine’ led by Boris Antunovich, where Christophe Buhot is the leading expert on accreditation of veterinary medicine institutions of the said Association.

   These meetings now take place on a regular basis, as well as preparatory activities for the further successful accreditation of the faculty by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education.

Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Mykola Tsvilikhovsky,
Head of International Programmes
of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Maryna Galat