From 2024, Aarhus University’s new campus at AU Viborg in Foulum, will be filled with veterinary students. Minister for High Education and Science, Christina Egelund, has just approved 33 new degree programmes in Denmark, including the veterinary degree programme at AU Viborg. This is welcome news for Finn Borchsenius, vice-dean for education at the Faculty of Technical Sciences:

"We were never really in any doubt that the veterinary programme would become a reality. But it’s still great to receive the official stamp of approval from the Ministry. We’re in the process of developing three new degree programmes for AU Viborg, so we’re pleased that the veterinary medicine programme is now one step closer to becoming a reality," says Finn Borchsenius.

Three new programmes under development

The new degree programme in veterinary medicine will be the first to move into the new campus at AU Viborg, followed by new programmes in Plant and Food Science and Animal Science. The new veterinary medicine programme will provide students with the same competences as the programme in Copenhagen, and once they have completed their Master’s degree, students will be authorised veterinarians. However, there will be some differences between the programme in Copenhagen and the new one in AU Viborg, explains Charlotte Lauridsen, who is head of the Department of Animal and Veterinary Science:

"We're not going to establish an animal hospital at AU Viborg. Instead, clinical training on the degree programme will be conducted in collaboration with existing animal clinics and practices. Furthermore, the plan is to organise the programme so that we fully utilise our facilities at Foulum to keep animals and conduct animal experimentation. This will ensure that handling live animals is an important element of the programme from the first semester," says Charlotte Lauridsen.  

Becoming part of Denmark's green campus

The vision is that the future campus, AU Viborg, where the veterinary students will study, will be a modern green campus with beautiful surroundings. In addition to veterinary medicine, AU Viborg will be the centre of education and research paving the way for the green transition within the sustainable food of the future, climate-friendly production methods and bio-based solutions for energy.

Renovation of the existing building stock is also one of the things that has a strong focus in the development of AU Viborg, and it is the intention that AU Viborg will function as a climate-neutral unit, explains the Vice-Dean for Education:

"It is important that when we look at the buildings, we focus on creating the optimal framework for a good study environment and good facilities for the students. At the same time, we are working to think in climate-neutral solutions that can contribute to AU Viborg becoming a green and CO2-neutral campus. We have already taken the first tentative steps, and we are continuously working to find new, innovative projects and solutions that can make AU Viborg CO2 neutral", Finn Borchsenius concludes.