Published: 31 Aug 2016 | Last Updated: 31 Aug 2016 11:40:35

The RVC led international consortium “Networking to enhance the use of economics in animal health education, research and policy making in Europe and beyond” (NEAT) that aimed to strengthen and enhance the use of economics in animal health in higher education and professional environments by creating a wider cadre of people to teach economics and to create educational materials, has come to the end of the Lifelong Learning Programme Erasmus funding.

Apart from networking activities and awareness raising it has developed and made publicly available a series of undergraduate teaching materials for economics applied to animal health, which can be downloaded here under a Creative Commons licence: . A major legacy of NEAT is  the creation of the new International Society for Economics and Social Sciences of Animal Health (ISESSAH), which will hold its inaugural meeting in Aviemore, Scotland, UK, 27th and 28th of March 2017. ISESSAH aims to improve animal health and welfare policies, programme and projects through more nuanced use of concepts and tools available in economics and social science disciplines.

The meeting, which is organised by NEAT/ISESSAH members including RVC staff members Jonathan Rushton (conference organising committee) and Barbara Haesler (scientific committee), will have keynote presentations from leading thinkers in economics and social sciences. Other oral and poster presentations will be selected from submitted abstracts. There will be a social function and a dinner to provide ample time for participants to engage in discussions.

Key themes of the conference will evolve around the questions a) Where do we come from – what has been critical progress in the use of economics and social sciences of animal health in past years?; b) Where do we stand now – how are economics and social sciences currently being used for animal health decision-making?; and c) Where should we go – what will be the future challenges for economics and social sciences to improve animal health? The abstract submission deadline is the 30th of October. 

Download the call for abstracts here.