ANIMAL WELFARE LAWYER - UNIQUE TRAINING AT UM

In cooperation with the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, the University of Miskolc has launched a unique training course for animal protection lawyers. The postgraduate course at the Faculty of Law gives students an insight into animal protection law and related disciplines. Students will also learn about the veterinary, psychological, communication, economic, sociological and anthropological aspects of the field.

One of the most important and forward-looking benefits of the model change in higher education is that it creates the possibility for cooperation between institutions even if they work in different disciplines. In partnership, universities can be more responsive and flexible to the expectations of the wider community and society, and help each other. They can support each other's work at the frontiers: in professional, educational, and scientific and research programmes, and also in  joint curriculum development.

The cooperation agreement signed between the University of Miskolc and the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest in February this year is exemplary in this respect. The specialised training course in animal protection law, which fills a gap, can be launched for the first time in Hungary at the Faculty of Law.

"Nowadays, animal protection is not only a moral task, but also a socially expected activity. It is not only a legal institution regulated by law, but also an interdisciplinary field", said Judit Varga, Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Universitas Miskolciensis Foundation, welcoming the students of the first course at UM.

Referring to the importance of the specialised training, she said that the government considers it of the utmost importance to further improve the situation of animals, which is why it submitted a bill on the establishment of the Animal Protection Foundation last week. The main objectives of the foundation include supporting the work of civil animal welfare organisations and raising awareness of responsible animal husbandry.