This post is also available in: Indonesian

As in the previous year of 2007, this year CIVAS has received another visit from students of the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph Canada. They were Melanie Youngs, Tiffany Trish Marchildon, and Leung Zee Dick from Global Vets 2008. Global Vets is a program at the Ontario Veterinary College which offers student veterinarians a unique opportunity to investigate animal health care in developing countries. The program was started in 1997 by two second year students, and is based on a program called Défi Vet-Monde at the Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire at the University of Montreal Canada. Melanie and friends were in Indonesia for two weeks, from June 22nd to July 6th, 2008.

Developing countries visited by the Global Vets students are countries in Central America, East Africa, South Africa, and Southeast Asia. Indonesia is one of the countries visited in South East Asia. In Indonesia, the students worked with Center for Indonesian Veterinary Analytical Studies (CIVAS) to study about avian influenza (AI). With Bogor, Sukabumi, and Jakarta as models, CIVAS had facilitated the students to visit several places that could help give them a general understanding about AI in Indonesia. Several places they visited were PT. Ayam Manggis Farm (broiler and layer farm), PT. Anthony Farm (commercial layer farm), Sukabumi Native Chicken Farmer Group (KEPRAKS), poultry collecting facilities in Bogor and Jakarta, and a poultry slaughter house owned by PT. Japfa Group in Parung, Bogor. To also learn about other animals, CIVAS took the students to the Dairy Cow Breeding and Development Center in Cikole-Lembang, a small animal clinic (Piet Animal Clinic) in Sentul, IndoLivestock exhibition at the Jakarta Convention Center, Tegal Alur Animal Rescue Center in West Jakarta, Taman Safari Indonesia, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Bogor Agricultural University and its Animal Hospital where CIVAS collaborated with veterinary students from the Student Executive Body, Veterinary English Club, Pet and Aquatic Animal Interest Group, Wildlife Interest Group, and this year’s best veterinary student. At the faculty, the students discussed and exchanged information on what they studied in their respective universities, Ontario Veterinary College – University of Guelph Canada and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine – Bogor Agricultural University.

On the last day, Melanie and friends did a presentation on all of their activities for the last two weeks and also presented about Ontario Veterinary College and Global Vets program. They also presented about the poultry and dairy cow system in their country. Melanie, Tiffany, and Zee have also expressed their hope for next year’s Global Vets. They hope that next year Global Vets could work again with CIVAS to study more deeply about other animal health systems beside AI.