RENTRÉE

 
 
Rentrée [returning to school] is the word most used in these days at the beginning of September. With a greater or lesser desire to begin, the truth is that we are at the beginning of a new academic year and it is worthwhile to summarize and share some novelties that we have incorporated into the website and our upcoming plans in order to gain ground in favor of animals.
 
The classes of the Master in Animal Law and Society, currently in its 3rd edition, begin on the 3rd of October in the Faculty of Law of the UAB. During the month of September, the enrollment for the program will remain open and some places are still available to begin a trajectory of studies and knowledge which has no other option available in Europe. The Masters Program is training experts in Animal Law for the next generation. In fact, the demand for these experts grows exponentially day-to-day, all across the world. As a sign of this increasing interest, our students enjoy the possibility of testing their knowledge in internships in prestigious national and international collaborating entities (http://www.derechoanimal.info/esp/page/1665/entidades-colaboradoras). These tutored internships are one of the most valued elements of the Master, as they allow students to come closer to the working world to see the exercise of the profession first-hand and to create contacts, which are always important among professionals. We invite our students to send their information and we have a section for Alumni on our website (http://www.derechoanimal.info/esp/page/2403/alumni), to facilitate contact among them. This section is intended to be an open space for offices, institutions, companies, etc. which can go there to discover new talents. It must be said that our success is beginning to be measured by the quantity of offers that arrive, from Spanish and international institutions, and the professional success of our Alumni with whom we always stay in contact.
 
In this sense, this year, in October, we are beginning a new activity associated with the Master in Animal Law and Society. The activity consists of “Meetings with Former Students”, where our alumni will lead meetings to explain to our current Masters students their professional activities and how they are applying the knowledge acquired in the Master. These meetings will take place with variable frequency, at least once per semester and they will be open to the public in general. I can already announce that in October we will receive a visit from Juan Ignacio Serra (Buenos Aires, Master 2010-2011), who will be accompanied by a group of colleagues from Buenos Aires who have founded an animal protection federation. We will discuss with them about the current state of Animal Law in Argentina and we expect the participation of other Alumni who wish to share their experiences and progress. We will provide further details in the Program shortly.
 
Another good piece of news is the reformation of our Editorial Staff, which we are announcing this month, and the incorporation of “Legal Rapporteurs” into the staff, to provide up-to-date news on the progress of Animal Law throughout the world.
 
Finally, we welcome two new doctoral theses in Animal Law which were read recently.
 
The first of these was read on August 26th in the Faculty of Law in the KIMEP University in Kazakhstan. The new doctor is named Alina Davar and her thesis was directed by Maria Baideldinova.
 
The second was defended on August 28th in the Faculty of Law in the Federal University of Bahía (UFBA, Brazil). The new doctor is Tagore Trajano, who already had a defined trajectory in the field of Animal Law. The thesis was co-directed by Professor Heron de Santana Gordilho (UFBA), Director of the Interdisciplinary Group of Research and Extension on Animal Rights, Environment and Postmodernity (NIPEDA), who is also a visiting Professor in our Master, and by Professor David Cassuto (Pace University), Director of the Brazilian American Institute for Environmental and Law (BAILE). I had the honor of forming part of the Tribunal that graded this doctoral thesis which dealt with a topic of great interest: “Animal Law as an elective course in Law”. We await its prompt publication.
 
That two doctoral theses have been read in this emerging area of the Law is proof of the dynamic interest in this new legal discipline. From here, we give our warmest welcome to these new doctors.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Key Words: Animal Law, Animal Welfare Law, Master in Animal Law and Society, Alumni, Doctoral Theses in Animal Law.