Championing veterinary medicine

 

 

 

Overcoming hurdles

But this success story didn’t come about easily. Initially rejected, the proposal has evolved over the past ten years in the face of a significant number of hurdles and resistance.

“When I proposed a veterinary medicine school in 2008 shortly after taking over as president of CityU, the response from our leadership team was positive. The key aims of the project, i.e. food safety and curbing the spread of zoonotic diseases, concerned urgent public health issues. But convincing others was a tough sell!” he said.

“We had to be persistent and keep our ultimate goal at the forefront of our efforts. It has not been an easy journey but the outcome has been richly rewarding,” he said.

Generosity and passion

What struck Professor Kuo strongly during the struggle to keep the dream alive was the incredible levels of support among key personnel. Just as resistance existed inevitably in some quarters, enthusiasm among local influential groups was no less evident.

“Many important people were passionate about my proposal right from the start, people such as former Council chairmen Mr C Y Leung and Mr Herman Hu who both lent their full support as indeed did the entire leadership team at CityU,” Professor Kuo said.

Interest in veterinary medicine for Hong Kong also cropped up at unexpected moments. During a routine medical appointment, Professor Kuo’s doctor offered unsolicited support in the form of a cheque for HK$200,000.

“It’s usually the patient who hands money to the doctor, not the other way around!” said Professor Kuo. “But my doctor, who has donated several more cheques since, believes very strongly in the huge benefits that veterinary medicine will bring to Hong Kong and further afield.”

Hearts and minds

“The idea of setting up a vet school captured the hearts and minds of many people in Hong Kong.” Another interesting insight into the level of support for the veterinary medicine proposal is that many of the benefactors who have given so generously in support of the vet school were first-time donors.

Overall we have raised HK$1.2 billion over the past four years. After subtracting the HK$500 million from the Trust, we are left with HK$700 million, of which 50% came from donors with no particular connection to CityU and who reported that they had not donated before to such a cause.

“In other words, the idea of setting up a vet school captured the hearts and minds of many people in Hong Kong, so much so that they were prepared to donate large sums of money,” said Professor Kuo. “In fact, a survey revealed that 70% of the people in Hong Kong supported our vet school proposals.”

One Health for an interconnected world

Professor Kuo So what have we learned from the experience of setting up the College, overcoming resistance and winning over the government?

“There is a great deal of support for our vision that public health for humans has to be seen in connection with the health of other animals and the overall health of the environment. This is the One Health concept, which provides the philosophical underpinning to our veterinary medicine activities. Animal health guarantees human health,” said Professor Kuo.

People now recognise that our health is intrinsically interconnected to the health of animals and the environment at the local and global levels. We have seen how One Health, which lies at the heart of our 6-year Veterinary Medicine degree, has transformed how people look at health and sustainable development today.

Impacting public health

The list of people whom Professor Kuo thanks for helping to set up the College is far too long for this article, but, in addition to those already mentioned, the CityU president reserves special praise for Cornell University, one of the world’s leading institutions in veterinary medicine.

“A friend in need is a friend indeed. Cornell has been with us for the entire 10-year journey, and their involvement has enriched higher education in Hong Kong and Asia,” said Professor Kuo. The CityU–Cornell partnership will continue as the curriculum develops, research progresses and the One Health concept gains greater traction.

The 6-year BVM programme has to meet strenuous international accreditation standards, the best possible students have to be identified and faculty will need support in their research.

“There is much work to be done, but with the vision, team work and perseverance of the campus community and the support of Hong Kong society, the College will have a dynamic impact on public health in the future.”