The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) operates in six official languages, allowing it to disseminate technical knowledge and guidance to a wide range of audiences worldwide. This multilingual approach supports capacity development, facilitates effective communication, and strengthens partnerships among stakeholders across different regions.
In Europe and Central Asia, Russian remains a key working language for many veterinary professionals, paraprofessionals, and livestock producers. Ensuring access to technical training in Russian is therefore essential for strengthening animal health systems throughout the region. To address this need, the regional FAO Virtual Learning Center (VLC) has launched its website in Russian, offering an online platform for tutored and self-paced certified courses on animal health, livestock production, and additional topics such as food loss and waste, green agriculture, and plant health. The VLC also publishes biannual newsletters and articles in Russian to inform specialists, farmers, and stakeholders about new courses, regional developments, and upcoming activities.
Several priority self-paced online courses have been translated into Russian to enhance professional engagement and capacity development. These courses focus on key livestock diseases, including sheep pox, goat pox, and lumpy skin disease preparedness, as well as climate change adaptation in the livestock sector. By addressing disease pathogenesis, transmission, diagnostics, prevention, and control measures, these courses aim to improve preparedness, early detection, and coordinated response to transboundary animal diseases, which are increasingly affected by climate change.
Russian-speaking regions of Europe and Central Asia host nearly 160 million ruminants, representing a significant socioeconomic resource for rural households and national economies. The courses are designed for public and private veterinarians, paraprofessionals, farmers, and livestock producers, providing structured, science-based training to ensure professionals can access up-to-date information and apply harmonized approaches to disease prevention and control.
Most self-paced courses are accredited by the Veterinary Continuous Education in Europe (VetCEE) association, allowing participants to earn certificates with credits recognized for continuous professional development, thereby enhancing the professional value of the training.
