Student competition
In spring 2010, the Russian animal rights organization VITA organized a student competition under the motto "Research without animal suffering." The aim of the project, which is unique in Russia to date, was to raise awareness among young people and to demonstrate to the public that animal experiments are neither ethically nor scientifically justifiable.
The competition was based on the film “Humane education in the countries of the former soviet union.” Funded by Doctors Against Animal Experiments and produced by VITA and InterNICHE (International Network for Humane Education), the film showcases the positive developments at several universities in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. More and more university lecturers are choosing to abandon cruel animal experiments and killings in their practical courses, opting instead for modern teaching methods such as films, computer simulations, and models. This transformation is financially supported by Doctors Against Animal Experiments and InterNICHE.
Using the film, which can be downloaded free of charge from VITA’s website, as background information, students were invited to describe the science and education of the future. Over 3,000 entries were submitted, including essays, posters, pictures, and more, from students in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and other countries of the former Soviet Union.
The awards ceremony took place on April 26, 2010, two days after the International Day for the Abolition of Animal Experiments. On this annual day of remembrance and action, opponents of animal experiments around the world draw attention to the suffering inflicted on animals in laboratories.
More than 100 students, along with their parents and teachers, attended the ceremony held in the historic Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. Two university professors and two Russian celebrities spoke out against animal experiments in their speeches. The media, including the popular Russian TV channel NTV, reported extensively on the event.
The ceremony was sponsored by Doctors Against Animal Experiments and the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV). Doctors Against Animal Experiments also donated 100 cotton tote bags and badges for the young award winners.
VITA president Irina Novozhilova expressed great satisfaction with the results:
“In Russia, animal experiments are widely accepted as a normal part of science, both by the public and at universities. Knowledge about animal-free methods is virtually nonexistent. Our competition helped open many people's eyes. The enormous positive response on the part of students and teachers overwhelmed us and proves that the topic is being taken seriously.”
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