For the first time, students in Iceland can begin their veterinary education without leaving the country, with the inaugural class starting at the Agricultural University of Iceland in Hvanneyri this autumn. The news was first reported by RÚV.
Nineteen students have enrolled in this initial group at Hvanneyri, near Borgarnes, where the Agricultural University of Iceland (AUI) is located. Until now, aspiring veterinarians had to travel abroad for their education.
According to the chair of the Icelandic Veterinary Association, the hope is that the new programme will help increase the number of veterinarians working in Iceland’s rural areas, where shortages have been an ongoing concern. The chair told RÚV, “they hope the new programme will result in more veterinarians working in rural parts of the country” (translated).
There has been a shortage of veterinarians in Iceland for some time, especially in rural regions, making the launch of domestic education a significant step for animal health and agricultural life outside the capital.
Background
The Agricultural University of Iceland is an educational and research institution established in 2005, focusing on agricultural and environmental sciences as well as landscape architecture and planning. Its main campus is at Hvanneyri, with research activities in Reykjavík.
Sources
- RÚV (first reported) in Icelandic
Image: Steinninn / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · licence, original (resized) Illustrative image.
