First day of the International Society for Applied Ethology's 50th Anniversary conference here in Edinburgh

We are very excited to have been part of the organisation of this landmark event. With over 600 scientists from all over the world gathered to hear the latest research into applied animal behaviour and animal welfare issues and new methodologies - this is definitely the event to be at this year. Edinburgh hosted the first ever meeting of what was then called the Society of Veterinary Ethology, 50 years ago - and some of the Giants of our field have played an important role in furthering the aims of the Society. One of these was Prof David Wood-Gush - the first Hon Programme Director of the Masters in Applied animal behaviour and animal welfare, which was launched with funding from the European Union in 1990.  1990 was a significant year for our JMICAWE Director - who took on the role of Programme Coordinator, as her first job as a recent PhD graduate, to welcome the first ever Masters students on this course to Edinburgh. Tonight she looks forward to meeting some of the many Edinburgh graduates from over 25 years of the programme, as well as some of those who will join us from on online Masters in International Animal Welfare and ex PhD students! Many of these are now Professors and world influencers, with their own Animal Welfare research and education programmes and their own students. Its wonderful to think that Edinburgh has played such an important part in helping to shape their future careers!

The welcome event this evening will be opened by our own Prof David Argyle, the Head of the Veterinary School at Edinburgh, and this will be followed by the Wood-Gush Memorial talk given this year by Professor Christine Nicol from Bristol University Veterinary School.