Page 24 - Eclipse - RVC Alumni Magazine - Autumn 2020

business interactions influencing our food systems.
In IFSTAL, we place a big emphasis on collaborative learning and transdisciplinary approaches with a mix of high-calibre contributors, different activities, room for engagement and shaping of content and workplace interaction. This always allows for rich discussions on issues concerning the food system, its inextricable link
with One Health and the need for transformative change, with the recent COVID-19 pandemic only highlighting the fragility of the food system.
While blended learning has always been firmly embedded in IFSTAL, COVID-19 prevented the annual residential summer school and we opted for online delivery instead. Similar to residential events, students and staff engaged in online workshops and lectures, interacted
with guest speakers and collaborated on group projects. Participants really enjoyed the week.
Anetta Slobodova, RVC student and IFSTAL participant commented: “IFSTAL summer school was an incredible learning experience that let me explore
food systems through new and intriguing perspectives. I had a brilliant time networking and communicating with people who shared a plethora of their unique and interesting experiences.”
The summer school posts and blogs
can be found at www.ifstal.ac.uk/ category/news/year-5/ss20
We are very excited to be able to be part of this vibrant and stimulating community and never cease to be inspired by the enthusiasm, creativity, and forward thinking that comes to life in our events. For more information about the IFSTAL programme, visit www.ifstal.ac.uk
Animal Aspirations: our achievements over the past year
As you may remember from our article in Eclipse 2019, Animal Aspirations is a student led project which aims to increase ethnic diversity in both the veterinary profession and animal-based careers. Through workshops, mentoring and blogs, the project aims to provide inspiration, positive role models and practical advice to make a career working with animals a more tangible option for ethnically diverse students, who may otherwise not have access to the advice and support they need.
Since our launch last year, we have achieved a lot. We launched our new website: www.animalaspirations.com, which contains useful resources for young people and teachers, including blogs on topics varying from personal statement tips to interviews with ethnically diverse role models already achieving great things here at the RVC.
Whilst COVID-19 caused some disruptions in our plans to deliver workshops to more London-based schools, we were still able to host events for several groups of students ranging from nine to 16 years old at the start of the year. Like many others, we then turned to social media to continue to provide useful content to the young people we seek to inspire.
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A lot will change throughout the academic year, but we hope that the new way of remote working will allow us to reach more schools across the UK.
2020 has been a pivotal year for lifting black voices, and the conversations surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement have provided us with more momentum to carry forward our aims and reach more young people.
After the positive reception to our Open Letter to the RVC, veterinary profession and the public, which can be found on our website, we have become more encouraged to look more holistically
at the recruitment of ethnically diverse students into our profession and other animal-based careers.
Moving forward, we will also be working with the RVC and the Students’ Union to ensure that as a university we are striving towards inclusivity and providing an environment in which all students, including those from ethnic minorities, can flourish.
For more information and to keep up with what we are doing follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @animalasp.