Press release

Published: 12 February 2025

DAAE participates in global initiative for worldwide animal-free education

Doctors Against Animal Experiments (DAAE) is actively involved in the Global Education Hub for Animal-Free Innovation in Utrecht, The Netherlands. In a paper recently published in the scientific journal ALTEX, the hub emphasises its vision of integrating animal-free methods into research, teaching and legislation (1).

The Global Education Hub, initiated by the Transition Programme for Innovation without the use of animals (TPI, Utrecht) and PETA UK, aims to bring about a paradigm shift in the biomedical sciences through education. The network brings together experts from science, industry and NGOs across 17 countries to establish animal-free teaching methods in medical and biology studies, create a global knowledge exchange platform and educate political decision-makers.

Three DAAE employees play a key role in shaping this initiative: Dr Tamara Zietek, DAAE’s Science CEO, is committed to educating authorities about the benefits of non-animal methods. Dr Dilyana Filipova, scientific officer at DAAE and co-author of the new ALTEX publication, focuses on promoting animal-free training practices at universities and expanding educational resources for modern animal-free research methods. Biologist Julia Radzwill, scientific officer at DAAE, develops tools and workshops for schools to sensitise young people to ethical, animal-free research.

‘Education is the key to driving forward animal-free innovations,’ emphasises Dr Filipova. ‘Only through interdisciplinary collaboration can we create science that serves both humans and animals.’

The hub plans to offer training tools (skills lab) for animal-free technologies, international webinars for teachers and a platform for dialogue. DAAE will continue to actively contribute its expertise to these projects to promote animal-free education globally.

Reference

1. Janssens M.R.E. et al. Developing a global education hub for animal-free innovation. ALTEX - Alternatives to animal experimentation 2025; doi: 10.14573/altex.2411251