Dr. Rafat Participates in Annual Meeting of the
Scientific Association of Arab Veterinary Medicine Colleges in Sharm Al Sheikh
Sharm Al
Sheikh – The Scientific Association of Arab Veterinary Medicine Colleges convened
their annual meeting at Sharm Al Sheikh between 23 and 26 November 2016, hosted
by the Suez Canal University, with the Assistant Secretary General of the
Association of Arab Universities Dr. Mohammad Rafat Mahmoud representing the
General Secretariat of the Association in attendance, as well as the President
of Suez Canal University Dr. Mamdouh Ghurab, Secretary General of the
Association Dr. Falah Shudeifat, and deans of veterinary medicine colleges from
Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Sudan.
Dr. Rafat
explained that the meeting produced a number of important decisions relevant to
developing the academic and clinical education at the BA and graduate study
levels, in addition to working on enhancing the academic and research
cooperation among veterinary medicine colleges in the Arab World through joint
study programs and research projects relevant to livestock in the Arab World.
Moreover, it was decided to launch an internationally acclaimed scientific
journal that publishes the work of Arab researchers in all areas of veterinary
medicine specializations.
He added
that the academic councils, associations and centers under the umbrella of the Association
of Arab Universities are active and effective arms for the academic plans and
programs adopted by the Association, in order to improve the level of higher
education at the Arab Universities. The Scientific Association for Veterinary
Medicine Colleges, whose permanent headquarters are at the Jordan University of
Science and Technology, is an important association, which coordinates and
cooperates with the deans of veterinary medicine colleges to organize scientific
activities in cooperation with the relevant universities and institutions to
keep up with the modern scientific developments in the various areas of
veterinary medicine.
On the
scientific conference, Dr. Rafat added that the conference recommended mapping
all epidemiological diseases to select the best vaccines and serums and assess
them on an ongoing basis in view of the isolated genetic map to determine the
current status of diseases for animals and birds.
The
conference also recommended establishing a national bank for all bacterial or
viral isolates to follow-up the genetic changes, supply the vaccines and serums
with the latest isolates from the breeding sites as well as focus on the latest
Nano technology research in the areas of diagnosis and control of
epidemiological diseases. It also discussed the importance of centers to monitor
and test animals and birds, both imported and wild, to limit the spread of
diseases, especially ones that can be transferred from animals or birds to
humans, like bird flu.
Moreover,
the conference discussed promoting biosecurity among breeders, training
technicians on dealing with suspect cases of disease centers, mapping the
productivity of livestock farms, limiting sources of pollution and reducing its
impact on people and animals, and using the results of applied research to
control the spread of diseases using modern applications at the lowest cost
from natural resources.
The
recommendations produced by the conference included establishing a body to
monitor the health procedures followed while breeding in the farms as well as
the production steps in the slaughterhouses and factories (for animals, birds
and fish) and another to assess fodder and drugs as well as supervise family
farms and knowledge transfer. The recommendations also included twinning among
the Arab colleges with regard to curricula and study plans on veterinary
medicine inside the Arab World and comparing these with the content proposed by
the World Organization for Animal Health, recognized by the Mediterranean Network of Establishments for
Veterinary Education. The Arab colleges should also
seek twinning with European veterinary colleges to elevate the level of
veterinary education as a first step for attaining international accreditation.
Additionally, graduate studies and veterinary medicine research should be encouraged
among the Arab countries starting with the central laboratory at the Suez Canal
University in view of its capacities to deal with diseases in the Arab World.
Many
research papers were discussed in the conference in all fields of veterinary
medicine. The annual meeting of the Association of Veterinary Medicine Colleges
was attended by a number of deans of veterinary medicine colleges, including
Tunisia, Sudan, Jordan and Egypt. A number of important decisions were adopted
relevant to developing academic and clinical studies at the BA and MA levels,
in addition to enhancing academic and research cooperation among the colleges
throughout the Arab World using joint studies and research papers on livestock.
Finally, it was decided launch an international journal to publish the work of
Arab researchers in all veterinary medicine specializations.