Engaging Intergovernmental Organizations for Food Safety, Animal Health and Public Health: Geneva-Paris-Rome

February 15-21, 2009

Registration

If you would like to register for this class, please contact Meghan Taylor at 612-626-8434 or Chris Carlstrom at 612-624-3029.

Fees
$2,250 - Government/University Rate
$3,000 - Industry Rate

Registration includes:

• All train, air, and other ground transportation in Europe between destinations of Geneva, Paris and Rome.
• Food service:
  • Receptions
  • Three group dinner meals in (Geneva, Paris, and Rome)
  • One lunch meal in Paris.
• Course materials and instruction

Participants are responsible for:

• Travel to our first destination, Geneva and return travel from Rome.
• Hotel accommodations (a room block will be held in each city at a rate that includes breakfast)
• All meals and incidental expenses not included in the registration fee

Scholarship Opportunities

Registration is limited - you are encouraged to register early. Contact carls020@umn.edu for further information about the program and logistics.

Why should I consider this program?

Our lives are enriched by the global movement of people, products, animals and plants as well as energy, finances and intellectual property. These benefits also create new vulnerabilities. Food safety, public health and animal health issues don¿t respect country borders. Intergovernmental organizations play a critical role in the prioritization of issues, sharing of information, development of tools, resources, and educational initiatives to support national governments, and the harmonization of testing, diagnostic tools and disease control methods.

This short course will help you expand your network among key global leaders and provide you new skills for effectively engaging intergovernmental organizations. As a result of completing the course you will be able to access additional reference materials, understand who best to contact with regard to specific issues and be more successful in building public-private partnerships.

Student Blogs from 2008

Want to know what students learned and experiences during last year's program? Check out their Blog entries.

About the Program

This weeklong course is designed to immerse the participants in case studies that reflect the work of the intergovernmental organizations. Small group sessions and discussions will complement the presentations received during the visits to the IGOs themselves.

The course will begin in Geneva Switzerland on Sunday, February 15. Initial visits will involve the World Trade Organization (WTO) and World Health Organization (WHO). At the WTO, discussions will focus on the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement plus the Technical Barriers to Trade, global trade agreements that set up guidelines for international trade. The WHO interactions will examine their role in fostering global priority-setting, disseminating current information, providing technical assistance and coordinating global public health crises.

The course will move to Paris on Tuesday February 17 for a visit to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The OIE interactions will highlight animal health standards development, global surveillance systems and evaluation of national veterinary services capacity.

On Thursday, February 19 the course will move to Rome for a day with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN. International scientific standards for food (CODEX) and plants (IPPC) will be highlighted along with technical assistance for emergencies and for capacity-building in developing countries. The wrap-up session on the morning of February 21 will highlight key learnings and provide an opportunity for participants to integrate their experiences and insights gained during the course.

The program is designed for leaders and emerging leaders in the global food system from the food industry, government agencies, and universities and colleges including professionals with education and experience in food science, microbiology, environmental health, food safety, animal health and public health.

The program is directed by William D. Hueston, DVM, PhD, Director, Center for Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, and William Sischo, DVM, PhD, Professor, School for Global Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University.

Sponsored by

• Global Initiative for Food Systems Leadership
  An international university consortium fostering leadership
• University of Minnesota - Center for Animal Health and Food Safety
  An OIE Collaborating Center for Veterinary Services Capacity-Building
• Washington State University - School of Global Animal Health
  Global leadership in infectious diseases at the animal-human interface