Ghent University Postgraduate course in Poultry Health Sciences

The Ghent University Postgraduate course in Poultry Health Sciences will offer an unique opportunity to study in-depth the different aspects of poultry health sciences, bridging the gap between theoretical and applied knowledge, aiming to equip current and future professionals with knowledge, skills and understanding to address global and local challenges in future poultry production.

 

There has been an increasing pressure on the livestock sector to meet the growing demand for high-value animal protein. The world’s livestock sector is growing at an unprecedented rate and the driving force behind this increased consumption of animal protein is a combination of population growth, rising incomes and urbanization. One of the most sustainable sources of animal protein is poultry, as chickens do not require a lot of land and water and are highly efficient in converting feed to body mass, as compared to other production animals. The poultry industry is characterized by highly efficient production systems and advanced technologies. A successful poultry production requires knowledge in various disciplines, including management, husbandry, biosecurity, health, nutrition, disease control, sustainability, animal welfare, food safety among others.

The poultry industry supplies millions of jobs across the globe. Over the next 10 years, thousands qualified poultry people will be needed in the industry. In the poultry industry, there are jobs available to fit nearly any interest such as veterinary sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, nutrition, disease and quality control, sustainability, environmental friendly production, animal welfare, digitalization, poultry product development, just to name a few.

 

Advanced training courses and workshops contribute to the training of many employees of veterinary practices, pharmaceutical companies, animal feed and animal feed additive companies, research institutes and universities. These types of trainings enables these people to further develop their expertise in poultry health sciences and subsequently improve their career prospects in the poultry sector. However, these short technical trainings are limited in time and focus only on the newest trends in poultry health issues.

Therefore, this postgraduate course in Poultry Health Sciences was developed to offer an in-depth educational program to educate fundamental and applied knowledge based on bridging the gap between research and field expertise.