Five students from the Animal Welfare Lab of the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) are set to take part in the 59th International Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE) in India. Each of them will present a research paper on animal welfare at the conference.

Professor Dr M Ariful Islam, Professor of the Department of Medicine at BAU and Head of the Animal Welfare Lab, confirmed the matter on Monday (August 10).

The international conference is being held at Gautam Buddha University in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of 123 international delegates from around 40 countries are taking part in the five-day conference. The event began on Monday (August 10) and will continue until August 14.

Researchers, teachers and professionals from different countries are attending the conference to discuss animal welfare, animal behaviour and related research. The theme of this year’s conference is “Shared Worlds: Ethology Driven Animal Welfare and Coexistence”.

The five BAU students representing the university are Dr Solema Akter Shanta, Dr Siam Ahmed, Dr Ashikur Rahman Kaushik, Dr Tasnim Binte Hasan and Dr Tazin Khandaker. Each of them will present a research paper on animal welfare, with five papers being presented on behalf of BAU at the international conference.

The team is being led by Professor Dr M Ariful Islam, Professor of the Department of Medicine and Head of the Animal Welfare Lab at BAU. He is also serving as the corresponding author of the research papers.

Dr Ashikur Rahman Kaushik, a member of the team, said he was very happy to have the opportunity to attend the international conference.

“Taking part in such a prestigious international platform and representing my university as well as Bangladesh is a matter of great pride for me,” he said.

He said the opportunity would help him learn about world-class research, new technologies and experiences in animal welfare.

“This opportunity will enrich my knowledge and inspire me to develop myself as a world-class researcher in the future,” he added.

The team members received support for registration fees and travel grants from different international organisations to attend the conference.

According to the researchers concerned, receiving such support from international organisations reflects the quality, potential and international recognition of their research.

The participation of the BAU team in one of the major international gatherings of animal welfare researchers, teachers and professionals is expected to increase the visibility of the university’s research activities at the international level.