In order to fully utilize the intellectual resources of global scientific communities, promote the exchanges of viewpoints and research endeavors concerning improvement of animal environment and welfare, the International Research Center for Animal Environment and Welfare, IRCAEW in short, was established on October 20th, 2011 at Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences (CAAS), Chongqing, China. Establishment of the Center was initiated by CAAS and participated by 11founding academic institutions from six countries. Formation of this center represents another strong commitment of global scientific communities to working across disciplinary and geographical boundaries towards the common goal of enhancing animal environment and welfare, ultimately sustained development of the global food animal agriculture.
The 11founding academic institutions include: Iowa State University (USA), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA), Purdue University (USA), University of Missouri (USA), University of Manitoba (Canada), Wageningen University (The Netherlands), University of Southern Queensland (Australia), China Agricultural University (China), Nanjing Agricultural University (China), Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University (China), and Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences (CAAS, China). The Center is headquartered at CAAS and managed by an elected board of directors (BOD). Specific research projects for the Center will be implemented through use of working groups that consist of identified global experts in the fields.
Since its inception, the Center has co-hosted two International Symposia on Animal Environment and Welfare (2011, 2012) and one special workshop on the National Modern Animal Husbandry S&T Demonstration Park in Rongchang, Chongqing (2012). In 2012, University of Aarhus (Denmark) and University of Tennessee (USA) applied for the Center membership and were approved by the BOD, bringing the current number of member institutions for the Center to 13 representing six countries. The BOD has established the Center’s constitution that will guide its operation.
As one of the international research centers in the world that is expected to grow into the future, IRCAEW carries out international scientific and technological exchanges and cooperative studies mainly on animal environment and welfare issues, organizes international academic symposia to promote communications and sharing of research findings, conducts or facilitates technical trainings, and provides services of technological consultation to R&D institutions, industrial enterprises and organizations. It seeks partnerships for undertaking international scientific and technological conferences and exhibitions.
In the coming months and years, the Center will invite more partners to join. It will identify the research needs and work towards development of strategies to improve modern animal husbandry; apply for joint research projects among the participating members; organize seminars; hold training workshops; organize and coordinate visits and information exchange among the participating institutions; expand the Center’s website (e.g., inclusion of technical articles). The international symposia will be co-hosted by CAAS biannually, while special workshops between the main international symposia will be hosted by other membership institutions of the Center. |
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