Dr Mark Schipp on opening the door to the world – the department’s international work opportunities

09 Mar 2023
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Image: Kate Makin visiting the National Agro-alimentary Health, Safety and Quality Service’s (SENASICA) biosecurity detector dog training facility in Mexico

 

Working for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) opens up a world of possibilities for veterinarians and scientists, with opportunities to work not only within Australia, but internationally.  

Having worked overseas in South Korea and China, I wanted to provide an insight into the experience of some of our staff working overseas and how their work plays an important part in progressing Australia’s animal health interests. 

Veterinarian Dr Richard Niall has recently started working in India as First Secretary (Agriculture) for the South Asia region, which takes in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. 

Richard joined the department’s graduate program in 2015, then worked in clinical veterinary practice in Canberra and re-joined the department in operational, policy and regulatory roles facilitating imports and exports of animals and also market intelligence analysis and industry engagement roles. 

“In my current role, I work at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi to advance the interests of Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry industries, including supporting efforts to maintain and improve market access, providing market intelligence, resolving trade impediments and managing in-country engagements across the portfolio,” said Richard. 

“My work also involves implementing the agriculture outcomes from the recently ratified free trade agreement between Australia and India (AI-ECTA). Two of the key attributes gained from my veterinary experience that are relevant to this role are relationship-building and problem-solving. Without good relationships with my Indian Government official counterparts, I wouldn’t be able to collaborate as effectively with my colleagues – both Australian and Indian, to resolve some of the complex regulatory matters we face on a daily basis!”. 

Image (L-R): Richard Niall, Kate Makin and Luke York


At Australia’s Embassy in Mexico, veterinarian Dr Kate Makin has been working to promote Australia’s agricultural interests as an Agriculture Counsellor. As the first Agriculture Counsellor in this location, Kate also oversees Central America, Colombia and the Caribbean, helping to explore and develop new market openings for Australian farmers and exporters.
 

After completing a PhD in live sheep exports, Kate first worked for the department in the Live Animal Export Program, working on live animal imports and exports including operations, policy, reform, market access and crisis management.  

“My role involves working across technical issues for both animal and plant commodities. Obviously my technical skills and knowledge are stronger on animal issues, but having a science background also helps me to understand the plant issues as well. In addition to my technical skills and knowledge, skills like effective communication, critical thinking and organisation are also critical to the role and I developed these during my time working as a veterinary officer in the department,” said Kate. 

“My team and I participate in trade conferences to pursue Australia’s interests, along with building our bilateral relationship with the Mexican Government, exploring commercial opportunities for Australian meat and wine, and promoting collaboration between our countries – such as working to organise a technical exchange between Australia and Mexico’s biosecurity detector dog teams.” 

As part of the Global Agricultural Leadership Initiative (GALI), the department has seconded three staff to work in France at the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the global authority on animal health that sets international standards on animal health and welfare. 

As Australia is a major exporter of animals and animal products, we have a strong interest in ensuring that WOAH remains influential and capable of setting international standards that facilitate the safe exchange of animals and animal products between countries. Dr Luke York has been seconded to WOAH as a Foreign Policy Officer.  

“My work here at WOAH goes to the core of securing safe trade by ensuring that the documents which govern WOAH are fit-for-purpose and allow the organisation to effectively deliver its mandate into the future,” explained Luke. 

Luke graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience and has a PhD from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. Prior to joining the department, Luke undertook roles with the International Livestock Research Institute in Ethiopia, and the Vanuatu Department of Livestock and Quarantine. 

“Since joining the department, I have worked on issues ranging from agricultural workforce shortages through to drought policy and trade negotiations. These diverse experiences complement my technical background in Animal Science and have allowed me to represent the Australian Government on agricultural trade issues at the Australian High Commission in India and undertake roles with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).” 

Image (L-R): Katherine Gregory, Raana Asgar and Melanie Allan

Melanie Allan is also at WOAH Headquarters in Paris, working in the Regional Activities Department as the Scientific Coordinator – Aquatic Animal Health Strategy. Melanie has a background in zoology and ecology and over the past decade she has worked in various roles across the department in international strategy, aquatic animal health, emergency animal disease preparedness and biosecurity policy. 

Melanie is leading the implementation of WOAH’s first global Aquatic Animal Health Strategy which aims to improve aquatic animal health world-wide and involves close collaboration with other WOAH departments and their Regional offices.  

“Aquaculture is the fastest growing food-producing sector in the world. With the Asia-Pacific region accounting for over 90% of global aquaculture production. However, the rapid growth of this sector brings with it risks, which are compounded by the increasingly globalised trade in live aquatic animals and their products. Aquatic animal disease outbreaks continue to cause significant losses in aquaculture production throughout the world, adversely impacting the sustainability of aquaculture, and livelihoods of those involved in the sector,” shared Melanie. 

“My work involves establishing aquatic animal health networks which aim to support the development of Member countries’ aquaculture sectors, through the prevention, early detection, and control of aquatic animal diseases.” 

Veterinarian Dr Katherine Gregory is also working at WOAH in Paris in their Data Integration Department as a Scientific Officer on the Observatory program. Katherine has previously worked as a clinical veterinarian in Australia and the United Kingdom, undertaken further study in veterinary epidemiology and public health at the Royal Veterinary College in London, and worked for the department in roles relating to biosecurity, international animal health and international strategy.  

“I work in the WOAH Observatory, which is a team that monitors the implementation of WOAH’s international standards for animal health and welfare. These standards support countries to conduct safe and fair trade in animals and animal products and prevent and control diseases. My work helps to identify the challenges countries face in implementing these standards, and how WOAH can better support them. In January we published our first ever Observatory annual report!” said Katherine. 

“Because the Observatory covers all kinds of standards, I work with staff across WOAH on lots of topics, like antimicrobial resistance, zoning for disease control and trade, animal welfare and epidemiology. I draw on all my previous veterinary roles and study, as well as my communication skills, to work effectively with the experts in all those areas.” 

Veterinarian Dr Raana Asgar has been seconded to work as a One Health Specialist at the Food and Agriculture Organization Sub-regional Office for the Pacific (FAO SAP) in Samoa. Her role involves enhancing the delivery of scientific and technical support to Pacific Island countries through increasing institutional capacity and One Health expertise. Raana is also supporting the development of capacities of national livestock departments across the Pacific to respond to emerging animal health and production threats. 

Dr Asgar graduated as a veterinarian in Australia and began her career in Fiji as a government veterinary officer in the Fiji Ministry of Agriculture in various roles. She has also worked as a consultant for the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and commercial animal industries in the Pacific before migrating to Australia, where she has worked for the department in senior positions in animal health, biosecurity and trade and One Health. 

“My veterinary background is very important as this role requires an understanding of pretty much all aspects of veterinary science, as I am called on to provide veterinary as well as policy and strategic advice – including for example, requests for advice on zoonotic disease prevention strategies, and requests to mentor newly graduated veterinarians and Pacific Island veterinary students currently studying overseas,” explained Raana. 

“I spend a lot of my time speaking to a wide range of stakeholders to support Pacific countries to shore up their biosecurity against current and future disease threats. It’s particularly important to focus on prevention of disease in the Pacific, due to the scarcity of resources, including technical expertise and trained personnel.” 

The department is posting a veterinarian to Jakarta in Indonesia to strengthen and support their control of foot-and-mouth disease and lumpy skin disease, through supporting the work of the Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) Indonesia Country Team as part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Indonesia Office. 

The opportunities to work for the department overseas are many and varied and I encourage all veterinarians to consider a career with the department, it could just well be your ticket to see the world! 

For the latest updates on the work of the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer, please follow our Twitter channel, and you can also follow me on LinkedIn and the Australian Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Beth Cookson on LinkedIn.