February 2021 V.5:1
CIVME Welcomes New Chair and New Council Members
The CIVME Council elected Dr. Ehab Abu-Basha of the Jordan University of Science & Technology in Jordan as the new Chair. Professor Abu-Basha assumes the leadership role in March 2021.

Additionally, a new Alternate Member Representing Continental Europe was elected: Professor Nihad Fejzic of the University of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

CIVME moved to a system of annually rotating Chairs in 2019. Dr Abu-Basha succeeds Dr. Martin Cake, from Murdoch University, Australia, who served from 2020-21. Prior to Cake’s tenure, CIVME was led by Dr. Harold Bok, University of Utrecht, Netherlands, from 2019-20.

CIVME council members are selected from nominees in recognition of their high level of engagement in veterinary education, and their regional and international connections within the global veterinary education community. Council members must have an active association with a veterinary education establishment, but do not need to be from an AAVMC member institution.
Member Profile: Ehab Abu-Basha (Jordan University of Science and Technology)
Professor Ehab Abu-Basha, CIVME's new Chair, completed his Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery from Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) in 1994, followed by MSc (1999) and PhD (2002) degrees in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He joined the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at JUST in Toxicology in 2002, and was promoted to full Professor in 2012. He has served in several leadership roles including the Head of Department (2004-2008), Vice-Dean (2009-2013) and Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Secretary General of the Arab Association of Veterinary Medical Faculties (2013-2016).

Dr. Abu-Basha has performed leadership roles also in veterinary education in the region as well as internationally, including as Vice President of the Mediterranean Network of Establishments for Veterinary Education (2016). He has represented the Middle East and North Africa region on the CIVME council since 2016. Currently, he is completing a period of sabbatical leave as a visiting professor at the Royal Veterinary College, London (September 2019–present). Please click here for the full story.
CIVME and World Veterinary Association Collaborate on Global Education Project
A new partnership between AAVMC’s Council on International Veterinary Medical Education (CIVME) and the World Veterinary Association (WVA) has launched this year.

“The WVA is excited to partner with AAVMC’s CIVME to launch a project on Global Quality Standards for Veterinary Education to improve the quality of veterinary education around the world and to develop a self-assessment mechanism for veterinary colleges in regions or countries without formal accreditation systems,” Dr. Patricia Turner, President of the WVA explained.

The new project emerged from the two organizations’ mutual interest in promoting, supporting, and advancing international veterinary education.

“This is a big step forward for what has always been a very promising initiative,” said AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe. “We founded CIVME in 2016 with the goal of increasing the quality of academic veterinary medicine around the world. The WVA shares these goals, and we are pleased to see this natural partnership emerge. We’re looking forward to making progress in a very important area.”

The project includes a survey and the development of a self-assessment tool. It will produce a report on findings at the conclusion of the project and is currently slated to run for two years, with the option to extend as needed. For more information, please contact civme@aavmc.org.
‘Around the World ‘ – Regional Highlights
Asia:
4h Bangladesh CEVET a virtual success in 2020
Dr. Mike Steele of the University of Bristol presents during CEVET.
The 4th conference for Continuing Education for the Veterinarians and Animal Husbandry Graduates of Bangladesh (CEVET) was held virtually from 19-23 December 2020 on the Zoom webinar platform. This was a successful event despite the COVID-related pivot to an online format, continuing a culture of continuing education among veterinarians and animal husbandry graduates in Bangladesh. This year the virtual CEVET hosted 942 veterinarians (266 female, 676 male) and animal husbandry professionals working for the public and private sectors, including government, NGOs, poultry and dairy sectors, academia, and research institutes, as well as graduate and undergraduate students, from all over Bangladesh. International students studying in Bangladesh and Bangladeshi students studying abroad were also able to attend the conference. Please click here for the full story.
Dr Eric Brum, Country Team Leader, FAO ECTAD, presents during CEVET.
Continental Europe:

Highlights from Nantes online General Assembly of EAEVE, 3 December 2020
Highlights from Nantes online General Assembly of EAEVE, 3 December 2020
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 2019 were amended.

The amendments concern only Chapter 2. Visitation Process - Preliminary Visitation and the related Annexes:

  • Annex 12. Timetable and guidelines for the Preliminary Visitation
  • Annex 13. Template and guidelines for the writing of the Preliminary Visitation Report
  • Annex 17. ESEVT Transitional procedures between SOP 2019 and SOP 2019 as amended in December 2020
‘Upcoming Global Events (Meetings, Conferences, etc.) in Veterinary Medical Education
InVest 2020 Postponed to May 2021

The International Veterinary Simulation in Teaching (InVest) 2020 conference planned at St. Georges’ University, Granada, West Indies, has been postponed to May 2021 and renamed InVest 2020/2021. The call for abstracts has been reopened. Interested persons can visit https://www.sgu.edu/news-and-events/events/invest-2021-international-veterinary-simulation-in-teaching/ or contact invest2020@sgu.edu for more information.

European Board of Medical Assessors (EBMA) Virtual Conference

Each year the European Board of Medical Assessors (EBMA) Conference presents an excellent opportunity for those involved in assessment in medical education to meet, learn, and share their experiences. The virtual conference will consist of a rolling programme of live webinars from September 2020 until March 2021. For more information go to: www.ebma.eu.

2021 AAVMC Annual Conference & Iverson Bell Symposium

The 2021 AAVMC annual conference and Iverson Bell Symposium will be hosted online from 3 to 5 March 2021. The theme is Catalyze 2021: Connect and Innovate in the Face of Global Challenges. For registration information, click here.

VetEd2021 at the University of Surrey

The International Symposium of the Veterinary Schools Council planned for 2020 has been postponed until 2021. The team at the University of Surrey will confirm a new date as soon as they can. For more information and updates: https://vetedsymposium.org/

Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) 2021 Conference

The AMEE annual conference is now established as the key meeting for all involved in medical and healthcare professions education including teachers, educationalists, researchers, administrators and students. AMEE 2021 is scheduled as a Hybrid Conference from 27-30 August. There will be a face-to-face conference in Glasgow, UK, as well as online elements integrated into the programme. For more information and updates: https://amee.org/conferences/amee-2021

Pan American Veterinary Science Congress postponed to October 2021

The Pan American Veterinary Science Congress presented by the Pan American Veterinary Science Association (PANVET), originally scheduled from 28 - 30 October this year, has been postponed until October 2021 in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. This will, as always, be the main international event in the region where veterinary education will be discussed.
The AAVMC is working hard to create a culture of diversity and inclusion in every dimension of academic veterinary medicine. To foster this goal, the photographs and illustrations which are used in our communications programs are aspirational, and do not necessarily reflect the levels of diversity and inclusion that currently exist.
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