The Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine is one of the largest educational and research centers for training highly qualified specialists for the agro-industrial complex of the Republic of Belarus. The strategies of its development have always aimed at achieving the academic and research excellence, close cooperation with producers and international partners. The Academy has always been searching for new educational, scientific and production technologies and methods as the quality of educational, scientific and production processes have always been of its high priority.
The Academy is a complex architectural entity located in the center of the city and covering the territory over 17 ha. Structurally it includes administrative, academic and research facilities, clinics, libraries, student residentials, sports, health and recreation centers, a student canteen, cafe and auxilary units.
Map of the campus
Map of the campus
The training of future specialists is provided on the undergraduate and post-graduate levels of education by 5 faculties:
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Biotechnological Faculty
- Faculty of Professional Development and Retraining
- Faculty of Extramural Education
- Faculty of Pre-University Education, Career Guidance and Marketing
Among the educational bodies structurally incorporated are the agrarian college and two affiliations (Pinsk, Rechitsa) as well as the Research Institute of Applied Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology.
Programs for PhD and doctoral studies on the veterinary, agricultural and biological specialties are offered at the Academy, there are the Dissertation Defense Boards for 5 scientific specialties.
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
The biography of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine began on the 8th of November, 1924, starting from the moment of inauguration of the Institute. The structure of the faculty includes 16 departments of the preclinical and clinical profile. 7 departments have their own clinics for inpatient treatment of sick animals and students training.
Clinical training and in-service practice of future veterinary surgeons is performed in practical classes, animal clinics of the Academy (over 3,000 animals per year), departments affiliations on the basic farms and advanced agricultural enterprises of the Republic of Belarus, meat processing plants, regional veterinary stations and Vitebsk zoo.
The faculty trains future specialists in the specialty of 1 – 74 03 02 “Veterinary medicine” qualifying as “Veterinary surgeon”. There are specializations as follows:
- 1 – 74 03 02 02 “Gynecology and Biotechnology of Animal Reproduction”
- 1 – 74 03 02 03 “Veterinary Toxicology”
- 1 – 74 03 02 04 “Veterinary Bacteriology and Virology”
- 1 – 74 03 02 05 “Avian and Apian Diseases”
- 1 – 74 03 02 06 “Avian Diseases”
- 1 – 74 03 02 07 “Swine Diseases”
- 1 – 74 03 02 08 “Small Animal Diseases”
- 1 – 74 03 02 09 “Veterinary Biochemistry”
The full-time study period at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine – 5 years. For graduates of veterinary colleges – 3.5 years.
Biotechnological Faculty
The Faculty was founded on September 1, 1933 as a result of the reorganization of Vitebsk Veterinary Institute and the Belarusian State Institute of Swine Breeding and was introduced as the Zootechnical Faculty, later it was given the name of the Zooengineering Faculty. After the introduction of new specialties the faculty was reorganized into the Biotechnological Faculty.
Currently, some 500 students are being trained at the faculty. The Biotechnological Faculty comprises 12 departments. Students are trained for the following specialties:
- 1-74 03 05 ” Veterinary pharmacy”
- 1-74 03 04 ” Veterinary sanitation and expertise”
- 1-74 03 01 “Zootechny”
Since 2009 the Faculty has been training international students from CIS and foreign countries (Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Lithuania, Lebanon etc.). The specialty of “Veterinary Sanitation and Expertise” has gained the highest priority in the export of educational services.
Faculty of Extramural Education
The Faculty of Extramural Education was opened in 1959. In 1965 the degree of a specialist was granted to 48 veterinary surgeons and 23 zooengineers. At the faculty a highly professional staff has been gradually formed that cherishes traditions introduced by outstanding teachers and scientists.
About 2000 part-time students are beeing currently trained in specialties: “Veterinary Medicine” and “Zootechny”.
28 departments are engaged in training students at the faculty. The combination of classical and modern educational technologies as well as a complex approach to learning methods and assessment of the results is being practiced.
Faculty of professional development and retraining
The faculty was established on the 20th of June 1966, it possesses a long and exiting history and traditions. More than 65 000 agricultural executives and specialists have updated and improved their professional qualification since the foundation of the faculty within 40 various directions and areas.
More than 2000-2300 agricultural specialists are admitted for various programs annually. Currently the programs for professional development are offered as follows:
“Veterinary Epizootiology”, “Veterinary Pharmacy”, “Veterinary Sanitation and Expertise”, “Veterinary Surgery”, “Veterinary Pathological Anatomy”, “Veterinary Parasitology”, “Veterinary Biochemistry”, “Veterinary Therapy”, “Organization of Veterinary Surveillance on State Borders and Transport”.
veterinarians and zoo technicians occupied in agricultural structures, farm animals and poultry enterprises, slaughter houses and food processing plants. Veterinary gynecologists and veterinary practitioners of the private and state sectors, veterinary sanitation specialists, veterinary executives, veterinary surveillance inspectors are invited as well as, laboratory bacteriologists, virologists, toxicologists, serologists of regional veterinary stations.
- Laboratory microbiologist
- Laboratory chemical analysis
- Laboratory chemical-bacteriological analysis
- Operator for machine milking
- Operator for veterinary animal treatment
- Operator for animal and poultry artificial insemination
The faculty actively provides consultancy, practical and scientific assistance to agricultural structures and industries of the Republic of Belarus. Currently, the support is rendered to agricultural industries in the Russian Federation.
The Faculty offers quality improvement programs for the teaching staff of the Academy in a close cooperation with the best educational establishments, the National Academy of Science of the Republic of Belarus, advanced agricultural enterprises and structures. International programs of professional and academic mobility in such countries as the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Latvia, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, France, Poland, Hungary, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, USA, China and others gain increasing popularity with every coming year.
Faculty of Pre-University Education, Career Guidance and Marketing
The Faculty of Pre-University Education, Career Guidance and Marketing was established in October 1963. Currently, one of the important components in the activities of the faculty is training applicants for the successful passing of the Centralized Testing or entrance tests. Applicants are supplied the information about forms, terms and conditions of studies at the Academy.
Various forms of the pre-University training are carried out at the faculty. Part-time (evening) form of training for the Centralized Testing (7 and 3 months programs) and distance learning.
Programs are also offered in:
- Dog-Breeding with the Basics in Cynology
- Modern German and English
- The Russian Language Course (9 months) for international applicants
- Biology Course (9 months) for international applicants
- Chemistry Course (9 months) for international applicants
Scientific activity
The Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine is accredited as a scientific organization by the State Committee on Science and Technology of the Republic of Belarus and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (certificate No. 136 of 08.06.2017). Currently, the Academy conducts research aimed at studying animal diseases and developing measures to eliminate them. The research is carried out to improve breeding and productive animal qualities, to develop modern livestock production technologies in compliance with international requirements, and to render the scientific support for the educational process. Most of the issues are included into the State Programs for the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Scientific investigations are carried out with the use of the most advanced equipment made in Belarus and abroad.
Scientific research and development is carried out on the basis of the Research Institute of Applied Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology, 24 department laboratories, the Education and Production Center, affiliations at agroindustrial enterprises. The structure of the Institute includes 3 departments: Scientific Expertise, Biotechnological, and Experimental production. Possessing a unique research base, the Research Institute carries out a wide range of fundamental and applied studies, performs the analyses of all types of biological material (blood, milk, urine, forages, etc.) investigates veterinary preparations, feed additives etc., all this enables to attend to state orders and render services to agroindustrial enterprises at a high level of quality.
