College of Veterinary Medicine Partners with Chengdu Bear Rescue Center to Launch Animal Welfare Workshop

Recently, College of Veterinary Medicine has formally signed a letter of intent for exchange and cooperation with the Chengdu Bear Rescue Center and hosted the opening ceremony for its inaugural Animal Welfare Workshop. Shun Chen, Dean of the college, and Xiaolei Wu, the Bear & Vet Team Director, attended the signing, alongside the first cohort of 20 trainees and teaching faculty.

At the ceremony,Shun Chen and Xiaolei Wu signed the letter of intent on behalf of their respective institutions. Under the agreement, the two parties will pursue deep cooperation in animal welfare education and veterinary professional training. Planned activities include joint seminars and study modules, student practical placements at the rescue Center, professional exchanges on veterinary diagnosis, treatment and environmental enrichment, and collaborative research initiatives, with the goal of building a regular mechanism for collaborative talent development.

Shun Chen said animal welfare is a core component of training modern veterinary professionals. She hopes the platform will guide students to embrace a professional ethos of respecting life and compassionate animal care while working on the front lines of animal rescue. Xiaolei Wu said the Program can act as a bridge to bring the Center’s hands-on rescue experience into university classrooms, enabling both sides to train veterinarians with strong technical skills and a commitment to life-Centerd care.

The inaugural training session kicked off right after the opening ceremony. Molly, an international expert from the Center, led an interactive session delivered entirely in English, covering the Five Domains Model of Animal Welfare. Q&A sessions and group discussions helped trainees deepen their grasp of animal welfare principles. “This English-medium class lets us learn Specialized animal welfare knowledge while Practicing our listening and speaking skills. I’ve taken so much away from it,” said trainee Zimo Zhou.

Notably, the Program has attracted cross-major applicants from other schools. Participants from varied academic backgrounds bring a wider range of viewpoints to animal welfare education.

The practice-based certification Program will continue to translate on-the-ground bear rescue experience into classroom learning. It aims to nurture a new generation of veterinary professionals equipped with both technical proficiency and humanistic care.