Most people in Kent District probably know where the UBC Dairy Research Centre is, and it is also possible that many have already interacted with their students and local businesses. However, would the community be able to explain why this institution receives students from many parts of Canada and other countries, what kinds of research they are doing, and how relevant the research is to Agassiz and the Fraser Valley’s dairy production?
The UBC Dairy Education and Research Centre is a dairy teaching and research facility, which is part of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems of the University of British Columbia (UBC), and one of the world’s leading research universities. Its activities in Agassiz began in 1996. Since then, it has been supplying a modern infrastructure for the fundamental and applied research in the reproduction and welfare of dairy cattle - a science that cares about animal suffering and seeks to improve their lives. These features have provided a rich international academic environment, which is attracting visitors, students and scientists from all over the world.
Each year, a large number of international students and other scientists come to Agassiz to study at the Centre. To date, more than 600 students have come from more than 30 countries, including Canada. About 20 visiting students live here, coming from countries like Columbia, United States, France, Argentina, Brazil, Holland and Spain. Their profile includes undergraduates, master degrees and doctoral students, who have the goal to gain experience through an internship or to develop research for their thesis and dissertations.
“The students learn about Canada’s highly developed dairy industry as well as the latest discoveries in the area. Much of this research quickly leaves the ‘ivory tower’ and becomes integrated into the common practice in the dairy industry across the country,” said Dairy Centre Founding Director and Professor Dr. Jim Thompson.
During their stay at the Dairy Centre, the visiting researchers have access to the student residences opened two years ago. Also, they have the support of the seven full time staff and Business Operations Manager as well as a part-time laboratory assistant. Furthermore, the international students have the opportunity to develop academic collaborations with their Canadian colleagues that will last throughout their careers.
Hélène Bec arrived from France a month ago. She is a master degree student and chose the UBC Dairy Center to do an internship. “My main objective here is about learning from the others’ experiments because I am mostly interested in animal production. It’s also interesting to compare the situation of dairy production in Canada with my home country”, she said.
After six months in Agassiz, Eline Burgers has just finished her research and is going back to Holland. During this time, she has been investigating how cows use an outdoor open pack in the winter, and how this influenced their behaviour in the barn. For her, the experience at the Centre was very important, especially to get more practical knowledge and skills.
“During my master degree studies, I did not get a lot of hands-on farm work, so the UBC Dairy farm was a perfect combination of all the things I was looking for; the team is very good and well-known around the world. Also, living here seven days a week and helping with milking cows and taking care of calves puts the research you are doing into a broader perspective”.
Since 2012, Canadian student Heather Neave has been studying in the Animal Welfare Program at UBC. She is completing her PhD in which she is researching the personality of dairy cows, especially how individuals cope with stressors during management changes such as weaning, regrouping and diet, and how personality may predict sickness in these animals. Her first contact with the Centre was in 2010, and that experience was important for her because she learned about dairy management, which provided her with the skills to identify ways to improve the lives of dairy cattle on farms.
“I did not have a dairy or even agricultural background when I first came to the Farm in 2010 during my undergraduate degree. These skills are very important for a position in academia to conduct research or to teach and train future academics at the university level”, Heather explained.
Her goal is to teach at the university level and to train future students who are keen to learn about dairy cattle, research and add to the growing number of professionals conducting research in the area of animal welfare.
“A number of students who have studied at UBC Dairy now have prestigious professor positions at major universities around the world,” she said.
The students gain experience in the local dairy industry and learn about the research and teaching activities at the Centre. As a consequence of their experiences here, when scholars travel back home, they promote the UBC Dairy Centre and the Agassiz area.
The UBC Dairy Centre has an open-door policy and welcomes guests to tour its facilities throughout the year, which is a good way for the community to interact with the students and the 500 animals that live there. “The Center is an integral component of the Agassiz community by participating in and contributing to local activities,” Thompson added.