According to Swiss legislation, individuals involved in scientific projects that include work with animals must have completed qualifying education courses before they can begin any experiments.
There are two levels of education courses required:
- Module 1: This course is a theoretical and practical course with a minimum duration of at east 40 hours that is mandatory for anyone involved in experiments with animal.
- Module 2: In addition to Module 1, individuals who supervise experiments involving animals must complete this additionnal theoretical course which also has a minimum duration of at least 40 hours in addition to module 1. Furthermore, candidates for Module 2 must have a university degree in life sciences, veterinary or human medicine, with specific education in zoology, physiology, anatomy, ethology, genetics, molecular biology, or hygiene. Candidates are also required to have at least 3 years of work experience in the use of animals.
Those education courses are organized
- In French and in English by the ResAL (GE and VD):
https://www.unil.ch/resal/home/menuinst/cours/formation-qualifiante/module-1.html
- In German and in English by the LTK (ZH, BS and BE)
https://www.ltk.uzh.ch/en/teaching-and-training.html
Both ResAL and the LTK courses are fully equivalent, and they are acceditated by the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO). Candidates can select the course that best suits their language preferences and place of work.
ResAL and LTK are part of a network called the "Swiss Network in Education for Laboratory Animal Science". This network ensures that individuals working with laboratory animals have access to high-quality education and training to meet legal requirements and promote animal welfare in scientific research.
455.109.1 (501 Ko)
