Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Celebrates Graduation and Welcomes New Veterinarians

During the ceremony, LBTU rector Irina Arhipova addressed the graduates with heartfelt words: "Dear graduates, faculty members, families and guests! This year, more than 700 students are graduating from the Latvian University of Life Sciences and Technologies, and each diploma is a testament to perseverance, dedication, and hard work. Each of you has invested time, effort, and heart to be here today. No matter where your professional journey leads—be it in clinics, laboratories, research, or your own practice—remember that you are ambassadors of LBTU. We are proud of every one of you! I warmly welcome you to our alumni community. May your path be filled with achievements, humanity, and love for what you do. Thank you, and best of luck!"

This year, 53 new veterinarians completed the second-cycle professional higher education program “Veterinary Medicine”, earning the qualification of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Graduates can pursue careers in veterinary clinics, food and veterinary service institutions, veterinary laboratories, scientific and educational institutions, veterinary pharmacies and wholesalers, and some go on to contribute to advanced research projects, such as drug development and stem cell applications. The diploma is recognized throughout the European Union.

The ceremony also honored 11 outstanding graduates who received the highest grade—10 (excellent)—for their final theses. These included:

• Anniina Jenni Jasmiina Leponiemi: Predisposing factors for cranial cruciate ligament rupture in dogs and outcome after stabilization using TPLO surgery (Supervisor: G. Indāns)

• Paula Gerdes: Risk factors for depression among veterinarians in Germany and Latvia (Supervisor: L. Tītmane)

• Daniel Roell: Effects of perioperative local lidocaine administration on physiological parameters in female dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy (Supervisor: L. Voiko)

• Diāna Birnere: Intraocular pressure dynamics during ophthalmic surgery in comparison of different general anesthetic agents (Supervisor: Prof. L. Kovaļčuka)

• Alīna Artemjeva: Effects of some anti-inflammatory and antipruritic drugs on haematological and biochemical parameters in dogs (Supervisor: J. Kondratjeva)

• Sindija Brūdere-Einase: Prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the occurrence of zoonotic bacteria in wild bird population in Latvia (Supervisor: Prof. A. Bērziņš)

• Laura Dortāne: Salivary and hair cortisol concentration as a marker of acute and chronic stress in brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic dogs in general veterinary practice (Supervisor: I. Bērziņa)

• Linda Ginta Guka: Dog diet effects on certain urinary parameters (Supervisor: A. Freiberga)

• Evita Kalēja: The potential use of Artemisia genus plant extract in veterinary medicine – its in vitro efficacy as an antibacterial agent (Supervisor: Prof. A. Valdovska)

• Marija Ostrovska: Oral cavity pathology incidence in grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) in the Gulf of Riga (Supervisors: L. Geine-Romanova and I. Pigiņka-Vjačeslavova)

• Anna Santa Ozoliņa: Effect of protein and energy supply in the peripartum period on colostrum quality in sheep (Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. A. Mālniece)

Upon completing the study program, graduates acquired in-depth knowledge of healthy animal anatomy and physiology, animal hygiene and welfare, disease diagnostics, treatment, prevention, and control, as well as food and environmental hygiene. The curriculum covers three main fields: Healthy animal anatomy and function – including anatomy, histology, physiology, biochemistry, and hygiene. Animal disease diagnostics, treatment, prevention, and control – encompassing clinical and visual diagnostics, pathology, internal diseases, surgery, obstetrics, infectious and parasitic diseases. Food and environmental hygiene – including food safety, inspection, foodborne infections, and toxicology.

The graduates were congratulated by Acting Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kaspars Kovaļenko: "Today, we are celebrating the 101st graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Latvia. This is a significant milestone not only for you, our graduates, but also for the entire veterinary field and the academic community. I remember you as first-year students—full of excitement, hope, and uncertainty—as you took your first steps on this long and unknown educational journey. Today, you have completed it. The road was often difficult and demanding, but never meaningless. You have become veterinarians. A veterinarian is not just someone who treats animals. You are doctors who stand for the concept of 'One Health,' who care about nutrition, environmental sustainability, ethics, and public health. You are guardians of life. Veterinary medicine continues to evolve and adapt to the latest global challenges—artificial intelligence, geopolitical shifts, antimicrobial resistance, and the impact of climate change on human and animal health. That is why I encourage you to maintain your curiosity, sense of responsibility, and adaptability—because these six years were just the beginning of your professional learning curve. No one reaches this point alone. So from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone who supported you, inspired you, challenged you, and believed in you throughout this journey."

The 2025 summer graduation season at LBTU has now concluded. In June, diplomas were also awarded to graduates from the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies (IITF), Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences (MVZF), Faculty of Agriculture and Food Technology (LPTF), and Faculty of Economics and Social Development (ESAF). The next graduation ceremonies are scheduled for January 2026.