Hong Kong to train its own vets

HONG Kong students who want to become veterinarians will no longer have to go overseas to study for their degree. A six-year bachelor of veterinary medicine programme at City University of Hong Kong (城市大學) will be launched in September next year on a self-. nancing basis.

But students will need to pay a hefty tuition fee of HK$120,000 a year, at least initially. The university plans to approach the University Grants Committee (教資會) for public funding later.

CityU needs to raise HK$1 billion to keep the undergraduate programme at its School of Veterinary Medicine (動物醫學院) a going concern. The course is being offered in collaboration with Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (美國康奈爾大學動物醫學院) in New York. It will have an annual intake of 10-20 students in the .rst two years.

The six-year course is modelled on Cornell’s curriculum with the two institutions having to meet the Australasian Veterinary Boards Council's accreditation standards. Cornell and CityU entered into a partnership in 2009 to develop the initiative.

Professor Michael Kotlikoff, provost of Cornell, said vets have varied job opportunities in Hong Kong and elsewhere. These include working for biomedical research, the government and overseas.

CityU recently acquired the Peace Avenue Veterinary Clinic (太平道寵物診所), which will form a signi.cant part of the school’s animal clinic.

(This article is published on Junior Standard on 26 September 2016)

City University School of Veterinary Medicine
https://goo.gl/y8UIrT

Peace Avenue Veterinary Clinic
www.peaceavevet.com.hk