Veterinary Education Twinning Programs work to build a mutually beneficial exchange program to support the improvement of veterinary education resources. According to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the goal of the programs is to “ensure a fairer distribution of veterinary education resources in developed and developing countries.”
Chiang Mai University, Thailand
The Center for Animal Health and Food Safety carried out the first-ever successfully completed OIE Veterinary Education Twinning program with Chiang Mai University in Thailand from 2013-2016.
The initiative led to bilateral student exchanges, faculty development projects, and curriculum mapping in both institutions. Other activities included the Global Health Institute, a two-week international conference with training courses, and the creation of short animated videos illustrating the OIE day 1 competencies for veterinary education.
More information and key outputs from the program can be found on the OIE Asia and Pacific Region website.
University of Prishtina, Kosovo
Teams at the University of Minnesota implemented a twinning project with the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary at University of Prishtina, Kosovo (FAV UP) from 2014-2018. Through support from the USAID-funded World Learning-Translational Leadership Program, the primary goals of the program were to help develop, strengthen, and sustain a modern academic program for agriculture, food systems and veterinary education.
Key components of the twinning project between FAV UP and U of M were academic mobility, through which teachers and teaching assistants had fellowships at the U of M to be trained in teaching, research methodology and professional development. In turn, U of M faculty, researchers, and residents visited the FAV UP campus as well to conduct workshops and experiential learning programs.
An article about one U of M visit to the University of Prishtina can be found on their website.
Uzbekistan Veterinary Faculty of the Samarkand Veterinary Medicine Institute – Pre-Twinning Assessment
In 2019, CAHFS completed a pre-Twinning assessment to determine the feasibility of developing an OIE Veterinary Education Twinning Project with the Uzbekistan Veterinary Faculty of the Samarkand Veterinary Medicine Institute.
CAHFS faculty and residents conducted two visits to Uzbekistan, during which the CAHFS team met leadership and faculty members, saw the physical facilities of the Institute, and learned about its history and structure.
Collaborating with the Uzbekistan Veterinary Faculty would also benefit the U of M, as international cooperation allows students and faculty to learn from colleagues across the globe, and to bring that knowledge back to Minnesota. Final approval of a full Twinning program is currently in development.