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IVSA History A Blast From The Past!
The International Veterinary Student Association( I. V. S. A.)
by A. J. Higgins
We don ' t have to look very far in this world to see immense trouble and distress between peoples and races. In my own country, for example, we have the Northern Ireland situation-ever present however blind we pretend our eyes to be. This conflict is only one of a profoundly shattering list of clashes between sections of humanity. There is a trend of thought which dismisses such problems as " hunian nature ". Such believers feel that strife will always prevail whatever attempts are made to promote international harmony. I am no philosopher but I do not hold with this belief. I strongly feel that any attempt, however small, that tries to bring about a better relationship and understanding between peoples is worthwhile. This applies to conditions within a nation and between nations.
The International Veterinary Students Association has five aims and objects:- 1. To promote international contact and co-operation between veterinary students.
2. To represent veterinary students on an international basis.
3. To promote the organisation of an international Congress of Veterinary Students.
• Mr. Higgins is a veterinary student at The Royal Veterinary College, Royal College Street, London N. w. 1. England, and i. presently the president of the I. V. S. A.
Issue No. 1, 1972
4. To promote the exchange of veterinary students between different countries.
5. To establish and encourage international programmes which will stimulate the interest of veterinary students in the advancement of the science art of veterinary medicine. I consider the first of these, undoubtedly, to be the most important. The veterinary profession is a relatively small profession and I. V. S. A. is a relatively small organization, but it represents the veterinary students of between twenty-five and thirty countries throughout the world. The association has, therefore, succeeded where others have failed in bringing together representatives from otherwise diverging countries. Of course, distances are a major obstacle, but we are corresponding with, for example, your own N. C. S. C. of the A. V. M. A. and other countries such as Japan and Malaysia, who for many reasons are unable to fullfill an active role in the association. I. V. S. A. tries to offer the veterinary student in each member country an established association with many of his international colleagues.
Twice a year, I. V. S. A. brings together each member country ' s representatives to its Winter ' and Summer Congresses. The holding of two Congresses annually tends to provoke criticism that we are merely exploiting sponsors to provide a handful
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