Dr Syseng Khounsy/Dr Suon Sothoeun
DR SYSENG KHOUNSY
Lao PDR Department of Livestock and Fisheries
DR SUON SOTHOEUN
Cambodian Department of Animal Health and Production
AusAid Australian Leadership Award Fellowships
Professor Peter Windsor and Ms Luzia Rast were successful in their application for an Ausaid ALA Fellowship to host Dr Syseng Khounsy from the Lao PDR Department of Livestock and Fisheries, and Dr Suon Sothoeun from the Cambodian Department of Animal Health and Production. These gentlemen are both Honorary Associates of the Faculty and as the in-country project leaders of two 4-year ACIAR projects on improving cattle and buffalo health and productivity as a means of alleviating rural poverty in both countries, they have hosted many of our students in PhD, BVSc and BAVBiosc Hons projects plus and RPP (Rural Public Practice) rotations. They visited Australia from July 12 through 23, participating in the 3 day residential workshop on Project Management in the MVPHM degree and met postgraduate student James Young who is using data from the ACIAR projects as part of his candidature for the MVPHM degree. In their second week they participated in a tour of our leading animal health agencies, accompanied by both Professor Windsor and Ms Lynn Henry of the FANR who is the economist on the ACIAR projects. Meetings were held with staff at Animal Health Australia, Bruce Twentyman of the national office of the Australian Veterinary Association and they also visited ACIAR and met the new CEO Dr Nick Austin, the Mekong region coordinator Dr Gamini Keerthisinghe and animal health project manager Dr Doug Gray plus others.
On July 21st they visited the Goulburn livestock saleyards where they witnessed the NLIS in action (compulsory livestock identification) and toured the rural veterinary practice of Rob Churchill where they gained a valuable insight into the delivery of rural veterinary services by private practitioners, a service that is practically non-existent in their countries.
On July 22nd they visited the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries and in a full day organized by Dr Mike Nunn, they met the CVO Dr Any Carroll and received presentations from numerous sections of DAFF that enabled their understanding of how animal health policy and legislation is developed and enacted. They will be visiting Australia again in February 2011 to participate in the MVPHM residential for the Leadership unit and learn more of our systems of livestock disease surveillance and response capacities.