Shropshire university confirms plans to open vet school

University bosses have joined forces with Staffordshire’s Keele University over the project and the new veterinary school will take its first cohort of students in 2020.

The new vet school will provide a five-year programme leading to a degree in bachelor of veterinary medicine and surgery, with training to be delivered on both university campuses in partnership with local clinical providers and industry.

Accreditation will be sought from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, enabling graduates to register and practice as vets upon the award of their degree.

Dr David Llewellyn, vice-chancellor of Harper Adams University near Newport, said: "After nearly a year of joint planning, both university governing bodies have strongly endorsed the proposal to create a joint veterinary school.

"Two major considerations for the Harper Adams board were that the new school will aim to widen access in this subject area and that, importantly, it will further support the UK’s agricultural sector as it faces a period of major change when the UK leaves the European Union.

“Harper Adams has a successful history of working with the agri-food industry, and our teaching and research specialisms in agriculture and animal sciences will complement Keele’s established track-record in the fields of life sciences and medicine.

"We are excited by the prospect of jointly creating a new veterinary school and look forward to continuing our work with Keele on this initiative.”

As well as being a new provider in the region the school will reach out to those who may not have traditionally considered a career as a vet.

Professor Peter Mills, deputy vice-chancellor at Harper Adams University, added: “Now that a formal decision has been made by the respective university governing bodies, we are keen to progress with the planning and capital build for the new school which will open in 2020. Training of vets will complement Harper Adams’ existing, extensive portfolio of veterinary and animal science undergraduate and postgraduate courses that will further support the farming sector."

Vice-Chancellor of Keele University, Professor Trevor McMillan, added: “I am delighted that together with Harper Adams University, we have now taken another major step forward in progressing our plans to develop a joint veterinary school.

"Our two universities share a common philosophy of providing an outstanding learning and teaching experience, reflected in both having recently received a gold rating in the teaching excellence framework, as well as ranking consistently highly in UK student satisfaction surveys, showing the natural affinity between us.”