By: Hafid Abbas
International Consultant at SEAMEO RETRAC, Ho Chi Minh (2014-2015)
By establishing an ASEAN Centre of Excellence through a partnership between Rahmat Zoo and Park and Universitas Sumatera Utara, Indonesia could take a significant step towards advancing animal science, veterinary education, wildlife conservation, and regional cooperation.
Indonesia has considerable potential to play a leading role in advancing animal husbandry, veterinary sciences, wildlife conservation, and animal welfare across Southeast Asia and beyond. With its rich biodiversity, growing academic capabilities, and strategic geographical position, the country is well placed to host a regional institution that brings together scientific expertise, practical experience, research, and international cooperation.
One promising initiative would be the establishment of an ASEAN Centre of Excellence for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences, through a strategic partnership between Rahmat Zoo and Park in Medan and Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU).
This proposal is not merely about creating another academic institution. It is about establishing a regional platform that can serve ASEAN member states, engage the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and contribute to global efforts to protect animal life, improve animal health, and strengthen sustainable animal production systems.
A unique partnership with considerable potential
Rahmat Zoo and Park offers an important foundation for such an ambitious initiative. With several hundred hectares of land and a collection comprising hundreds of animal species originating from different parts of the world, it provides a distinctive environment for practical learning, animal management, veterinary practice, research, and wildlife conservation.
Meanwhile, Universitas Sumatera Utara possesses a substantial pool of academics, professors, researchers, and professionals whose expertise could support the centre’s educational, scientific, and institutional development.
Combining these two complementary assets would create a unique partnership between an established animal facility and a major public university. Rahmat Zoo and Park could provide the practical environment, animal resources, and facilities, while USU could contribute academic leadership, scientific expertise, research capacity, and institutional credibility.
The proposed centre could be developed along the lines of established regional Centres of Excellence, including the network of specialised institutions operating within the Southeast Asian regional cooperation framework.
It could also explore recognition and institutional affiliation under ASEAN or the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), subject to the relevant institutional requirements and approval processes.
More importantly, the centre should be designed from the outset to serve not only Indonesia but all ASEAN member states, neighbouring countries, and international partners.
Five strategic mandates
To ensure that the proposed institution delivers tangible regional and international benefits, it should be built around five interconnected mandates.
First, a regional education and training centre.
The centre should become a leading destination for education, professional training, and capacity development in animal husbandry and veterinary sciences.
It could offer specialised training programmes for veterinarians, animal health professionals, animal husbandry practitioners, wildlife managers, researchers, university lecturers, and government officials from across ASEAN.
Through short courses, professional certification, fellowships, internships, postgraduate programmes, and international academic exchanges, the centre could help strengthen human resource capacity in countries that may lack adequate facilities or specialised expertise.
The ultimate objective would be to develop a new generation of professionals capable of addressing emerging challenges in animal health, livestock productivity, wildlife management, and animal welfare.
Second, a mobile advisory and technical assistance service.
The proposed centre should not limit its services to those who come to Indonesia. It should also take its expertise to other countries.
Drawing upon its pool of professors, veterinarians, researchers, and technical specialists, the centre could establish mobile advisory teams to assist ASEAN member states and other partner countries facing challenges in animal health, veterinary services, livestock development, wildlife management, and related fields.
These teams could provide technical consultations, professional mentoring, institutional assessments, training, and on-site assistance.
Such an approach would transform the centre into an active regional service institution rather than simply a conventional academic or research facility.
Third, a centre for innovation, research and development.
Scientific research and innovation must be at the heart of the proposed centre.
It could undertake collaborative research in veterinary medicine, animal diseases, zoonotic diseases, animal nutrition, livestock breeding, reproductive technologies, wildlife conservation, animal behaviour, and emerging technologies in animal health and management.
Particular attention should be given to the relationship between animal health, human health, and environmental sustainability, consistent with the One Health approach.
By connecting universities, research institutions, government agencies, and international scientific networks, the centre could generate innovations that address both regional and global challenges.
It should also encourage joint publications, research grants, technology development, and the exchange of scientific knowledge among participating countries.
Fourth, a common regional resource-sharing platform.
One of the persistent challenges facing many developing countries is the unequal distribution of specialised facilities, scientific equipment, research infrastructure, and professional expertise.
The proposed centre could help address this challenge by becoming a common resource-sharing institution for universities, veterinary schools, research organisations, and relevant government agencies throughout the region.
Participating institutions could benefit from shared laboratories, research facilities, animal health expertise, training infrastructure, academic networks, and access to specialised knowledge.
It could also facilitate visiting professorships, joint research projects, student exchanges, and institutional partnerships.
Such cooperation would help ASEAN countries maximise their existing resources while reducing unnecessary duplication of expensive facilities and expertise.
Fifth, a global hub for wildlife protection and international cooperation.
Beyond education, research, and professional development, the centre should embrace a broader international mission: promoting and protecting wildlife and animal welfare globally.
Indonesia’s biodiversity and its experience in managing diverse animal species provide an important foundation for contributing to this mission.
The centre could become a platform for international dialogue, scientific cooperation, knowledge exchange, and joint initiatives involving ASEAN, the OIC, NAM, and other United Nations member states.
It could promote international cooperation in wildlife conservation, endangered species protection, responsible animal management, biodiversity preservation, and the prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking.
By bringing together countries from different regions and levels of development, the centre could help strengthen a shared international commitment to protecting animal life and preserving the natural environment for future generations.
From a national initiative to an international institution
Realising this vision will require more than a partnership agreement between Rahmat Zoo and Park and Universitas Sumatera Utara.
It will require a well-designed institutional framework, strong governance, sustainable financing, international academic partnerships, and the participation of relevant Indonesian ministries and ASEAN institutions.
The centre should also adopt internationally recognised standards for animal welfare, veterinary ethics, biosafety, biosecurity, and wildlife conservation. Its scientific activities should be supported by appropriate accreditation, quality assurance, and independent professional oversight.
Indonesia could initiate the process by establishing a joint preparatory committee involving Rahmat Zoo and Park, USU, relevant government ministries, veterinary associations, and prospective international partners.
The committee could prepare a feasibility study, institutional master plan, financial sustainability framework, and proposed international cooperation arrangements.
The longer-term ambition would be to secure recognition as an ASEAN or SEAMEO Centre of Excellence, while developing partnerships with international universities, research organisations, and relevant United Nations agencies.
An opportunity Indonesia should not overlook
ASEAN cooperation should not be limited to economic integration, trade, infrastructure, and political dialogue. It should also embrace scientific excellence, human resource development, public health, biodiversity protection, and the sustainable management of animal resources.
An ASEAN Centre of Excellence for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences could become a meaningful contribution to this broader regional agenda.
The partnership between Rahmat Zoo and Park and Universitas Sumatera Utara offers an opportunity to translate existing physical resources and academic expertise into an institution with regional and global significance.
If developed with a clear vision, credible governance, and strong international cooperation, this initiative could position Indonesia not only as a beneficiary of regional cooperation but also as a provider of knowledge, expertise, innovation, and practical solutions.
The ambition should be much bigger than establishing a centre in Medan. It should be about building an international institution that serves humanity through the advancement of animal science, the improvement of animal health, and the protection of wildlife.
Indonesia has the opportunity to turn this vision into reality. The time has come to explore it seriously.
