National N.V. Karazin University Kharkiv
Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biochemistry
Project leader Dimitrij Leporskij initially visited six new interested departments in Kharkiv, Melitopol, Simferopol, Ternopil and Odessa at the beginning of 2012 to demonstrate animal-free teaching methods. All of the university lecturers visited were prepared to refrain from animal experiments and dissections in education in future and to switch to animal-free teaching methods.
The agreements were signed in April 2012. The university teachers undertake to refrain from any animal use and killing in the respective course from the start of the new semester on 1 September 2012.
Prof Evgenij Persky from the Department of Biochemistry at the Biological Faculty of the National V. N. Karazin University in Kharkiv, with the donated laptop and CD's.
In his department, 116 rats have been killed every year for surgical and biochemical hands-on experiences. Thanks to the donated animal-free teaching methods, these animal killings are now history.
Control visit
The control visit took place on 28 December 2012. At the meeting between Dimitrij Leporskij and the head of the departemtn, Prof Evgenij Persky, it became clear that all animal use had been discontinued as agreed. The computer programmes ‘Investigation of gluconeogenesis’, 'Enzyme catalysis. Lab2‘, ’Understand! Biochemistry‘ and ’Biochemical simulations' are successfully used in the curriculum for 2nd and 3rd year students.