Institutional Experience with Curricular Renewal during the OIE Veterinary Education Twinning Program between the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and Massey University, New Zealand.

Abstract

The Veterinary Education Twinning Program between the University of Peradeniya (UP) and Massey University (MU) was carried out within the mandate of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to create opportunities for developing countries to establish educational facilities and methods based on current and accepted international standards. This article describes how the twinning partnership between UP and MU enabled a strong flow of expertise that benefited Sri Lanka to develop a new veterinary undergraduate curriculum. The new curriculum was created to improve the relevance and quality of veterinary education, incorporating current international best practices, to strengthen national veterinary services. Adoption of an outcome-based educational framework has allowed the incorporation of tools such as problem-based learning and student-centered pedagogies and assessments. Extending theduration of the program from 4 academic years to 5 has expanded the scope for clinical learning, particularly in terms of student exposure to livestock veterinary services. This article documents the processes followed during the twinning program to highlight those factors that were critical for success or that were found surprising, difficult, or problematic.