In his contribution, he emphasised the importance of prevention, mutual respect between humans and animals, and a broader perspective on welfare, behaviour and health.
It was an honour to be invited as a guest speaker at the 75th international congress of the International Veterinary Student Association (IVSA) in Nepal. I have participated in many international congresses and have presented countless lectures and masterclasses during these events.
This congress was very special for several reasons. First of all, it was a nine-day congress, which is exceptional. Most congresses last three to four days, and five to six days is already considered a long congress.
In addition, it was a congress by and for veterinary students, with representatives from 29 different countries.
The IVSA focuses, among other things, on the climate crisis, nature conservation, One Health and animal welfare. These are topics that, within veterinary medicine as a whole, are still barely on the agenda.
The IVSA aims to provide high-quality education on subjects that are not part of veterinary training. Guest speakers are invited because of their long track record, knowledge and experience in fields that are not taken seriously enough within veterinary education. It was therefore an honour to be invited as one of the guest speakers.
The message from the guest speakers was above all to follow your passion and, in doing so, make a difference as a veterinarian and gain a great deal of fulfilment from it. This almost automatically means challenging the status quo within veterinary medicine and doing what may be expected of veterinarians: standing up for the welfare and health of animals, people and nature.
It was special to experience a positive atmosphere every day, with a shared ambition to collaborate, exchange experiences and discuss possibilities for bringing about improvements within veterinary medicine.
My presentations on the importance of preventing welfare problems, behavioural problems and health problems were received extremely positively. The same applies to the view that welfare problems, behavioural problems and health problems cannot be assessed separately. Welfare problems give rise to behavioural problems, and most health problems begin with welfare problems.
My contribution that creating a relationship with animals, based on mutual respect and mutual trust, is crucial for the welfare of both humans and animals was embraced both literally and figuratively.
The congress was inspiring, motivating and hopeful for the future, because this generation of veterinary students will play a decisive role in bringing about positive developments within veterinary medicine.
It was a wonderful outcome that IVSA representatives from Malaysia, Hong Kong, India and South Korea indicated that they would do everything they could to invite me in 2027 to give presentations for fellow veterinary students.
