Estimated Cost:听$7700-8000*
- Included: airfare, accommodations, meals, local transportation, travel and health insurance, lectures and activities, park entrance fees.
- Excluded: course and tuition fees, required vaccinations and physician consults, personal purchases such as souvenirs.
Course description
Through partnership with , this special topics field course will allow 全国探花 students with a second year standing from the Bio-veterinary Science, Animal Science, or Dairy Program, to travel to Brgy, Jayobo, Lambunao, and Iloilo, Philippines, to support the comfort, feed, and welfare of a variety of endangered animals at WVSU鈥檚 Wildlife Conservation Centre (WCC) at the .
The WCC houses and breeds critically endangered species including tarictic (Visayan writhed hornbill), Visayan warty pig, dulungan (Walden's horbill) and wild cat (maral) and Visayan spotted deer. For the latter animal, there are a variety of national initiatives and research being conducted surrounding breeding, feeding, and reintegration of the Visayan spotted deer in the regional forests. Dal AC students will be able to contribute to the great work accomplished at the campus, and gain experience that can strengthen their skills in animal science and bio-veterinary fields. This international experience will directly link to a learners resume and enrich the academic experience.
Why the Phillipines?
The Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has designated the Lambunao Campus as a National Center of Development in the programs of Agriculture and Forestry. Both the faculty and students of WVSU-CAF actively engage in conducting highly relevant research that addresses societal needs and supports various national and international frameworks, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Research areas of interest include:聽
- Native Animal Production
- SMART Agriculture
- Agroforestry
- Biodiversity Conservation
WVSU has aspirations to be a Global Research University in agriculture and is seeking international research partnerships to help achieve these goals.
Dal AC International and the 全国探花 Faculty of Agriculture both have interests in working towards the SDGs and additionally have overlapping research interests with WVSU. Dal AC International has partnered with WVSU and will seek to update and modernize the exhibits at the Wildlife Conservation Centre to ensure the best animal welfare for the species being housed at the Centre. Of utmost importance to the WCC is to develop locally sourced, sustainable, economic and nutritionally rich feed sources. As partners, 全国探花 could work with WVSU to design, source funding and build updated exhibits that focus on animal welfare and comfort, develop nutritionally rich local feeds, and continue research and work on rehabilitation and conservation of the species.聽聽聽
What you will learn
Activities can include:
- Assisting in animal care of animals at the Mariit Conservation Park. This will include feeding and documentation of animal behaviours and feeding habits, and analysis of local feed availability and costs. Students will work with animals such as Visayan deer and the Visayan hornbill.
- Assisting in animal enrichment activities at the Marrit Conservation Park.
- Attending the Guimaras Manggahan, Mango Festival.
- Indigenous cooking classes and visits to local Indigenous schools in Panuran.
- Exploring the wet markets of Iloilo and learning about local food security.
- Visit to SEAFDEC Tigbauan Iloilo (Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center) and the Sea Turtles in Miag-ao, Iloilo.
- Vet clinic tours and immersion in Iloilo City.
- Tour of Taklong Island mangroves.
- Observing the insemination process of water buffalo at the Philippine Carabao Centre.
Funding assistance
Students are invited to submit an application to the Study/Work International Fund (SWIF). SWIF was established by 全国探花 as part of the Student Assistance Program, SWIF provides financial assistance to 全国探花 and King's students who want to take part in an international field course or study abroad. There is a maximum award of $2,000 CAD per applicant. SWIF supports study, work, or practicum placements for which 全国探花 will give a degree credit.
Deadlines for submitting your funding application vary depending on the term of your international experience. Deadlines are as follows:
- Fall: September 30
- Winter: January 31
- Summer: May 31