Plans announced for north-east vet school
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THE north-east could be home to a new school of veterinary medicine – Scotland's first in more than 150 years.
The plans were announced on Friday, May 28, by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), which will offer courses in veterinary medicine ranging from Higher National Diploma to postgraduate degree level.
Based in Aberdeen but with a footprint across rural Scotland, it will be the first vet school outside Edinburgh or Glasgow.
SRUC – which has more animal and veterinary scientists than almost any other institution in Europe – has a national network of veterinary hubs and consulting offices.
It is already the biggest provider of veterinary nursing, livestock husbandry and animal care training in Scotland.
SRUC will offer a programme to address existing shortages in veterinary provision, in areas such as rural veterinary practice, food production, food safety and animal and public health.
Principal and chief executive of SRUC Professor Wayne Powell said: "We are an ambitious institution with a bold vision for the future.
"This is a ground-breaking model to expand access to educational opportunities and broaden the range of potential students who would not ordinarily be able to attend a vet school. It will also help solve existing skills shortages across Scotland.
"We see a key role of the new vet school in sustaining primary agriculture and hence food and drink productivity, with the welfare of both livestock and companion animals at its heart.
"The school will produce champions for best-in-class animal welfare in support of these industries, which will help improve productivity, effectiveness and sustainability.
"Building on the excellent new facilities we have already announced for Aberdeen and Inverness, there is a lot of work still to be done, but we are ready to seize the opportunity."
A working group will be established to progress the plans for the school, which will be chaired by Professor Sir Pete Downes, former principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Dundee.
Sir Pete will be joined by Sheila Voas, chief veterinary officer for Scotland, former NFUS president Nigel Miller, SRUC board member Jane Craigie, and Dr Kate Richards, who is a non-executive director on the SAC commercial board and junior vice-president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, in line to become president in July.
Professor Caroline Argo, dean of SRUC’s north faculty, will lead the project for SRUC. Other members will be announced in due course.
A report from BiGGAR Economics has found that the vet school could boost the local economy by £26 million and create 242 jobs by 2030.
