NEWS AND VIEWS
DAYS OF NOTE 3 MAY WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 20 MAY WORLD BEE DAY 22 MAY INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
AN UPDATE ON REGIONAL AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS Regional network and NZVA committee meetings are being held online using Zoom in the near future. The timing and frequency of these meetings may change. Upcoming meetings include: » Animal Health and Welfare Committee meeting 27 May » Sheep and Beef Cattle Veterinarians Branch annual general meeting 5 May. n
VetScript Deadlines for July 2020 issue EDITORIAL COPY 20 May DISPLAY AND CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 1 June LATE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 20 June Contact the editor at: vetscript@vets.org.nz
8 – VetScript May 2020
Letter CAT MANAGEMENT OVERDUE I congratulate Helen Beattie on the article ‘Let’s talk about cats’ published in the March 2020 VetScript. The development of a National Cat Management Strategy is long overdue. For too long cats have been an inconvenient species for society to consider as needing management and a plan. The negative impacts feral cats and some domestic cats play in the decimation of our native species are now well documented and can no longer be ignored. It is entirely appropriate for the veterinary profession to be leading the collaboration of the stakeholder groups including cat owners, conservationists and local and central government. Stuart Bruere, Wairarapa
SHAKEUP IN TOP VETERINARY SCHOOL RANKINGS The list of the highest-ranking veterinary schools in the world, as rated by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), has had a major shakeup in 2020 with some newcomers in the mix. THE ROYAL VETERINARY College at the University of London and the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) swapped positions, with the college now topping the rankings. The University of Cambridge dropped from fourth to seventh, and Utrecht and Cornell Universities stayed in the top five. Absent from this year’s top 10 are The Ohio State University, The University of Sydney and the University of Liverpool. Taking their place are Michigan State University in the US, the Vetsuisse Faculty Bern and Zurich, Switzerland (comprising members from the University of Bern and the University of Zurich) and the University of Copenhagen. As a result the top 10 list is much more Europe-focused, and the only top-10 Australasian university in last year’s list has missed out. The Massey University School of Veterinary Science ranked 28th equal this year. The QS University Rankings by Subject are based on four indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper and the H-index. n
WELLBEING HUB NOW LIVE! The NZVA has launched its Wellbeing Hub as a benefit for all members. THE WEBSITE CURRENTLY provides resources on staying healthy, leadership tips in times of change, combatting compassion fatigue, building a quality team environment and using yoga in the workplace. New resources will continually be added to the collection. The resource is available to everyone but is particularly useful for new and recent graduates and those returning to the profession after a break, who may be particularly vulnerable to poorer mental health. Access the Wellbeing Hub at www.nzva.org.nz/mpage/edhub-wellbeing. n
IMAGERY: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM, SUPPLIED
