Thank you very much to all participants, speaker and mentors that made this event a success! The 9th workshop of the EWDA student chapter!
The 2023 EWDA Student Chapter workshop will take place at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona in Spain, from 1st to 4th of April 2023 - and will once again be an in-person event.
Let us introduce our main sponsor for this workshop: UNIVET NATURE Univet Nature is an endowment fund created in 2018 by veterinarians and ecologists to provide financial support to nature protection associations. These associations are chosen according to their projects, commitment and probity of their leaders. They work for the mostly in the tropics where are the maximum of stakes and threats for the biodiversity. Based on the IUCN Red Lists (International Union for the Conservation of nature) and on the objectives of the Convention for Biodiversity of the United Nations, Univet Nature participates in reducing mortalities of threatened species (poaching, cetacean-ship collisions etc.) and the destruction of natural spaces (through the acquisitions land), and finances reforestation actions and environmental education. These programs are conducted in collaboration with the local populations and make converge the struggles against poverty and against the destruction of nature. In 2023 UNIVET NATURE is organizing a raffle, to collect funds to support NGOs and associations which aim at protecting biodiversity and environment in several countries. To learn more and to participate : https://univetnature.org/en/raffle2023/
This workshop will be the perfect opportunity for all students interested in wildlife and emerging disease management to learn from internationally recognized wildlife professionals, but also to mingle with other students form all over Europe and beyond.
Among the amazing speakers and mentors are:
Prof. Thijs Kuiken (Erasmus MC, The Netherlands),
Dr Becki Lawson and Dr Katharina Seilern-Moy (Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, UK),
Dr Ruth Cromie (Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, UK),
Dr Karin Lemberger (Vet Diagnostics, France),
Dr Károly Erdélyi (Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Hungary),
Vicki Tzatzaki (Ministry of Environment and Energy, Greece), and
Johan Espunyes (WildCom, Spain)
The workshop will be split into two parts, one for all participants (1st and 2nd of April) and one for "active" participants only (3rd and 4th of April). The first part will be dedicated to lectures by the speakers. They will illustrate steps that must be taken when dealing with emerging disease in wildlife and the different disciplines that are involved in outbreak situations. But fret not, it won't all be doom and gloom! We're also planning a fun, awe-inspiring movie night featuring the experiences of Sacha Dench, "the human swan". The "active" part on the other hand will be limited to 20 participants who will have to apply for a position in one of our small, mentor-led groups. You will be be able to investigate a mock disease outbreak scenario, performing all steps of the investigation, guided by our wonderful mentors. This will allow you to put into practice what you learned during the first days - all while having fun and discovering the importance of collaboration and multi-disciplinary teamwork!
There are of course many more exciting opportunities in Barcelona that await you - so save the date! Registration is now open, so join us!
Curious about what we're doing and when we're planning on doing it? Scan this code to have a first look at the preliminary schedule for 2023 event!