NTU's Department of Veterinary Science held a robing and oath-taking ceremony on May 17, at 9:30 a.m. for its fifth year students embarking upon their internship programs. As a pioneering move among the nation's veterinary science departments, such robing and oath –taking ceremony bear profound significance for the fifth year students who are about to become veterinarians in the near future.

Since the safeguarding of animal health is the basic job of veterinarians, and the detection and prevention of infectious diseases common to both animals and human beings is closely related to human health, it is vitally important that we construct an environment that allows mankind and animals to coexist peacefully. Therefore, vet doctors must carry out their duties with a solemn commitment and a high degree of professionalism. In view of this, NTU's Department of Veterinary Science took the initiative to hold a robing and oath-taking ceremony for its fifth year students, in the hope that, after taking this holy baptism, this fresh troop of veterinarians will be able to carry out their duties based on conscience, dignity, and professional ethics.

Director of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine of the Council of Agriculture, Mr. Hua-Tsung Sung was invited to attend the ceremony along with NTU's Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Been-huang Chiang, and Dean of the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, Dr. Bao-Ji Chen. In addition, senior members of the veterinarian community, parents, and teachers made their presence as well to witness the transformation of the students and share their joy. At the day of the ceremony, video clips were shown to recap the tidbits of the student's past learning; the students all wore tidy clothes, and took the white robe, a symbol of the honor and responsibility of a veterinarian, from their teachers. Under the supervision of Dean Bao-ji Chen, Head of the Veterinarian Science Department, Dr. Chen-hsuan Liu led the interns to read the vet's oath.

Wth the robing and the oath-taking, the fifth year students officially embarked upon a new learning phase, and became vet interns. From that moment on, a new mission and a new responsibility befell on their shoulders.

Head of the Vet Department, Dr. Liu urged the students to abide by the educational principles of the NTU vet, to wit:ViSTA, in which ‘V"stands for veterinarian and vision, "I" stands for intelligence and internationalization, "S" stands for scientist and sincerity, "T" stands for team work , teaching and learning, and "A" stands for achievement and accomplishment. After acquiring these characteristics, the interns will become outstanding scientists and vet doctors who are ready to face up to the challenges of the modern era, he said.