Inspiring Future Veterinarians: The 6th Annual International Veterinary Student Seminar Achieves New Milestones
The Lithuanian International Veterinary Student Unity (LIVSU) and the Veterinary Academy Student Association (VASA) are renowned for their innovative ideas and their commitment to organising events that engage not only the LSMU students and staff but also residents and visitors of Kaunas. These student organisations champion animal welfare and promote the Faculties of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences by showcasing their study programmes, visiting animal shelters, and offering in-kind donations to support their ongoing efforts.
“It brings me great joy to see LIVSU and VASA collaborating for several years now to organise academic events,” remarked Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine prof. Vita Riškevičienė, highlighting the value of this ongoing partnership and the positive impact it has had on the Faculty.
The Annual International Veterinary Medicine Student Seminar, initiated by LIVSU at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2016, held its highly anticipated 6th annual event on March 25th – 26th, 2023. Bringing together approximately 150 students and staff members at the K. J. Aleksos auditorium of the LSMU Veterinary Academy campus, with over 30 members of LIVSU and VASA collaborating for 8 months to make the event a grand success”, said LIVSU President Annamaria Lucia Newmark, VMU 5th year Student.
What makes this event unique?
Year after year, the unwavering efforts of the students have attracted distinguished professors from international universities, veterinary practitioners, and members of the EBVS College to deliver lectures at the seminar, with the 6th event being the largest to date, featuring a total of 8 esteemed speakers from Israel (Dr. Ran Nivy and Dr. Ronnie Kaufmann), Estonia (Dr. Aleksandr Semjonov), Latvia (Dr. Laura Voiko), and the United Kingdom (Dr. Christopher Webb and Dr. Laura Stapleton), as well as the local talents including DVM Martinas Jankauskas and DVM Sandra Čechovičienė from the LSMU Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
“Students of Veterinary medicine were given the opportunity to gain new additional knowledge in Veterinary Autoimmunity, Pain Management, Dermatology, as well as Neurology. While, the next day, the lecturers presented on topics such as Anesthesia of Rodents & Rabbits, Mast Cell Tumours, Antimicrobial Resistance & Stewardship and Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome. There was surely a wealth of knowledge shared throughout this very impactful weekend. Throughout the Seminar, there were opportunities for students to ask questions to the speakers and discuss with the experts”, said Annamaria Lucia Newmark.
The Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Prof. Vita Riškevičienė expressed her satisfaction with the student initiative, emphasising that the faculty encourages and supports such efforts, recognising that they can foster the development of international relations, multicultural communication, and future collaborations on joint projects that can help attract new employees and expand the faculty’s activities. The University also lends its support to this initiative by allocating funds from the LSMU funding for visiting professors. The academic fund specifically earmarked for enhancing internationalisation efforts at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
The success of this event owes much to the invaluable support of our social and business partners, whose collaboration with our students is a testament to their commitment to supporting this important initiative year after year. We’re deeply grateful for their willingness to share their expertise and knowledge with our students, which has played a vital role in the event’s continued success.
The 6th Annual International Veterinary Student Seminar proved to be a resounding success and was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the year at the Veterinary Academy said LIVSU President Annamaria Lucia Newmark, andexpressed her satisfaction with the organising team expressing their gratitude to the Faculty, University, and sponsors for their support and looking forward to welcoming this year’s attendees back for the 7th event of the International Veterinary Student Seminar in 2024.
LIVSU President Annamaria Lucia Newmark
