The International Veterinary Student Association Exchange Programme offers a unique opportunity for veterinary students to gain hands-on experience and build inter-cultural skills. This is the second year that Camvet has sponsored the programme enabling a group of students to travel to Morocco to spend time with their counterparts.
The exchange saw a group of Cambridge students both host here in Cambridge and travel to Morocco, building lasting friendships while gaining valuable insight into veterinary education and practice in a different context.
Led by IVSA Cambridge President Olivia Du, the programme began in Cambridge, where students welcomed their Moroccan peers for a week that blended academic enrichment with cultural exchange. From hands-on clinical exposure and expert-led teaching to exploring the city and experiencing college life, the visit showcased the very best of Cambridge.
The second half of the exchange took our vet school students to Morocco, where they were immersed in a diverse programme of clinical learning - from equine rotations to practical workshops - alongside unforgettable cultural experiences. Highlights included visits to local markets, time spent learning about regional animal husbandry, and a tour of the iconic Hassan II Mosque.
Above all, the exchange celebrates the curiosity, openness and professionalism of our students. Through experiences like these, they are not only developing as clinicians, but also as globally-minded veterinary professionals.
IVSA Cambridge President 2025-2026 Olivia Du:
The Moroccan students arrived throughout the day, and we got together for the first time to have dinner in Downing College. We got to meet the wonderful Anas, Ilyas, Mayssoune, Nada, Salma, Zaineb and Doae. After their long journeys, everyone settled for an early night.
Day 1: we kicked off the exchange with a tour of the vet school, during which our exchange partners were especially enthusiastic about the equine clinic - we were lucky enough to catch a lameness workup, where the clinicians and owners were happy to have us observe and ask questions. We were proud to welcome Professor Cinzia Cantacessi for a lecture on protozoan parasites, where she received reviews equally stellar to those of our clinical year students. This was followed by a formal at Gonville and Caius College with the MENA society.
Day 2: we started off early with a fascinating talk on ophthalmology cases by Dr David Williams, followed by a tour of other departments on the West Cambridge campus. Shreya and Rudi efficiently passed on their wealth of equine experience by running practicals on equine clinical skills. Mayssoune (an academic weapon) then participated in some 5th year lectures while others explored the city centre.
Day 3: the Moroccan students very eagerly joined more 5th year lectures (we respect their dedication), along with a small animal clinical skills session led by Rudi and Liv. After a series of academically-oriented activities, we wrapped up by showing our support to Rudi’s band “Cash Only” at a live event in the Six Six Bar.
Day 4: to finally prove that Cambridge has more than just lectures and practicals, the Moroccan students were led on a tour of the centre, including a mosque visit, and given time to shop for souvenirs (which involved many visits to Harry Potter shops).
Day 5: this was a packed day-trip to London, where we tried to give our visitors as holistic a tour as possible within our time constraints. We started off in the natural history museum, where we discovered that Anas can tell you just about everything the museum has to say about dinosaurs (and many other animals) because he is a walking encyclopaedia.
Day 6: we concluded the exchange with our final official activity of a farewell brunch in Fitz. It had been an intense but fantastic week, and we were very excited to see our friends again in the Morocco part of the exchange. Reluctant to end the fun, some Moroccans also managed to squeeze in some more shopping and an escape room before heading home.
Cambridge → Morocco
Day 1: we greeted some Moroccan friends (old and new), and were treated to milk and dates - a traditional method of welcoming guests. We then explored their university (which had some lovely horses), and were then ushered to Ilyas’ house, where his mother prepared a multi-course feast of Moroccan dishes. This was followed by a city tour, then dinner and settling into our new accommodation.
Day 2: we started the day with an outing to an equine stud, joining the 5th year vets on a clinical rotation led by a prestigious equine professor. At the farm, we learned about common horse breeds - Barb, Arab, and their mixes - and how to identify them, as well as how the farm was run.
Day 3: today was our day trip to Casablanca, a city about an hour away from Rabat by train. Upon arrival, we beelined for the markets at the Old Medina, where we warmed up our bargaining muscles as we perused the presented shawls, ornaments, spices, and other souvenirs. Next, we met up with Moncef (a local new graduate and Liv’s friend from an IVSA congress), who showed us to a delicious seafood restaurant and directed us to the famous Hassan II Mosque, where we joined a guided tour.
Day 4: the equine reproduction clinic ran a workshop for us, where Rudi got to rectal a horse for the first time (which he was thrilled about). We also joined in on parts of an equine colic surgery, before visiting the local Dromedary camels and learning about their husbandry.
Day 5: the day began with an incredible guided tour of a private institute for various equine studies, that the aforementioned equine professor prepared specifically for us. We got to learn about their courses for farriers, jockeys, vaulters, and more - with the vaulting professor putting on a quick performance just for us.
Day 6: We were all completely exhausted, but grateful for this lovely experience. We want to wrap up this report by thanking IVSA Morocco for a fantastic exchange, and Camvet for sponsoring us and making this possible!
