The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has joined national and international veterinary groups in calling 2011 the World Veterinary Year, also being referred to as Vet2011. 2011 marks the 250th anniversary of veterinary education. The world’s first veterinary school was founded in Lyon, France, in 1761 at the initiative of French veterinarian Claude Bourgelat. By setting up the world’s first veterinary training institution, Bourgelat, in turn, created the veterinary profession itself, according to the World Organization for Animal Health and the other founding members of Vet2011. The aim in celebrating Vet2011 is to improve public awareness and remind policymakers that modern veterinarians are not only animal doctors and animal welfare advocates, but also key public health stakeholders because of their role in promoting food security by supervising animal production hygiene, controlling zoonoses, monitoring food quality and safety, biomedical research and protecting the environment and biodiversity. The official opening ceremony of the World Veterinary Year will take place in Versailles, France, on Jan. 24, 2011. The American Veterinary Medical Association will host a symposium on the topic during its annual convention, to be held July 16-19, 2011 in St. Louis, Mo. Click here for a list of other events. Vet2011 members and partners include the World Veterinary Association, the AVMA, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the European Commission and Merial, among many others. <HOME>
