Higher Education in Flanders

The Master of Science in Tropical Animal Health (MSTAH)

The main objective of this programme is to contribute to the prevention and control of animal diseases in the tropics, to the development of a sustainable and healthy livestock production and, consequently, to improve food security and food safety for mankind. A practical and theoretical training will enable the participants to make rational decisions with regards to veterinary research and development programmes, with a particular attention for animal disease control projects.

A. The common part of the training:

The overall objectives of the 3 modules of this part are respectively to: - give the students the necessary knowledge and tools to be able to manage data and present results of research activities - strengthen the capacity of the participants in the field of planning, management and evaluation of participative and sustainable livestock development programmes or veterinary research projects in the tropics - provide the necessary tools to understand the issues of food safety, globalisation and commercialisation in the context of sustainable livestock development

B. The second part of the training:

The second part of the training offers the participants the opportunity to adapt their personal training programme to their specific needs.

The student can select between two programmes focused on respectively:

1. Collection and processing of data obtained by surveys, epidemiological studies or research work

With the following objectives: - provide candidates with the necessary tools to analyse experimental and epidemiological data, interpret results reported in the literature and design simple studies - increase the skills of the students in survey design and analysis - allow candidates to perform a detailed risk analysis in the context of veterinary epidemiology - make the participants familiar with the use of remote sensing (RS) and geographical information systems (GIS), so that their skills to understand epidemiological processes and to elaborate decision making support systems are enhanced - allow candidates to apply the theory acquired in epidemiology, diagnostic and disease control on a practical epidemiological example

2. Control of animal diseases and important zoonoses

With the objective to: - familiarise the students with serological and molecular based techniques and the principals of good laboratory practice - provide candidates with the necessary tools to analyse experimental and epidemiological data, interpret results reported in the literature and design simple studies - provide the basic knowledge and technical skills to improve the integrated control of tick and tsetse transmitted diseases of livestock - familiarise the participants with selected infectious diseases in order to allow them to collaborate actively and efficiently in a control programme - provide an introduction to the control of helminth infections of economic or public health importance in the tropics - allow candidates to apply the theory acquired in epidemiology, diagnostics and disease control on a practical epidemiological example C. The thesis Students attending the MSc programme are required to design and to undertake a research subject independently, resulting in a thesis.

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

Major: Disease Control

- design, manage, supervise and evaluate research or development projects in the field of animal and zoonotic diseases. This includes both technical and managerial competencies.

Major: Epidemiological Data Collection and Processing 

- generate, store, visualise and analyse data from epidemiological surveys. This includes analytical and technical competencies.

For both majors:

- communicate and work in an interdisciplinary team (e.g. epidemiologists and disease control experts - agronomists, zoologists and veterinarians)

- analyse cultural, social and economic differences between countries and continents specifically in matters concerning livestock breeding, trade and food safety and they will reconsider or corroborate their attitudes and approaches towards specific livestock issues by discussing and considering the consequences of strategies and decisions of different stakeholders.

- demonstrate a critical vision and mastery of the scientific background and write, defend and carry out research projects contributing to the progress of animal or veterinary public health and even – for those capable – to proceed toward a doctoral degree.

• Animal disease control
• Epidemiological data collection and analysis

• Animal disease control
• Epidemiological data collection and analysis

• Animal disease control
• Epidemiological data collection and analysis

• Animal disease control
• Epidemiological data collection and analysis

• Animal disease control
• Epidemiological data collection and analysis

• Animal disease control
• Epidemiological data collection and analysis