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[MDPI Webinar] World Animal Day 2025
3 October 2025
Welcome Message
In order to commemorate MDPI World Animal Day 2025, MDPI is launching a special webinar to encourage researchers to come together and raise awareness for the animal welfare movement, and contribute to the global force that is working to make the world a better place for all animals.
This year’s theme—"Save Animals, Save the Planet!”—draws attention to the connection between animal welfare and environmental welfare. From biodiversity loss and habitat destruction to industrial farming and pollution, the ways we treat animals have a direct impact on the planet's health, and vice versa. The conservation of animal species can aid in the preservation of their environment, and we must wholeheartedly commit to the protection of both.
Date: 3 Oct 2025
Time: 12:00 pm CEST | 6:00 pm CST (Asia)
Webinar ID: 826 4600 8905
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Invited Speakers
Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Professor Sneddon is an award winning scientist that has worked for over two decades on topics that have advanced fish health and welfare and used her research to drive the agenda for the improved welfare of fishes. Sneddon is an internationally recognized world expert on fish welfare and has been invited to develop training resources, participate in workshops, and deliver educational events and talks to veterinarians as well as technical care staff and academics. She is also regularly invited to give talks at academic conferences, laboratory animal meetings, animal law conferences, public events and to industry and other stakeholders. Sneddon currently leads her team, the Aquatic Animal Welfare (AAW) group, at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden investigating how to improve the way we treat fishes, decapod crustaceans and cuttlefish.
Dr. Subir Sarker is a Senior Lecturer in Microbiology at James Cook University. With over 16 years of international experience in molecular and structural virology, diagnostics, and wildlife health, he leads an interdisciplinary research team investigating viruses that threaten Australia’s wildlife. His work integrates molecular, genomic, and structural approaches to develop innovative antiviral strategies and diagnostic tools, advancing the understanding of viral diseases, safeguarding biodiversity, and promoting planetary health. Dr. Sarker has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles, including groundbreaking research on the role of single-stranded DNA in viral assembly (Nature Communications). He has received numerous prestigious fellowships and awards, including the ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) and Fellowship of the Australian Society for Microbiology (FASM). He serves on multiple international committees, including the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, and editorial boards, reflecting his global reputation in virology and microbiology.
School of Agrarian and Environmental Sciences, University of the Azores, Portugal
Paulo A. V. Borges has a Ph.D. diploma in Insect Ecology from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine – University of London (1997). Since 1988, he has been involved in biodiversity research, using arthropods as model organisms and the Macaronesian islands, particularly the Azores, as model systems. Participated in the development of the Azorean Biodiversity Portal (http://azoresbioportal.uac.pt/), a unique and important web interface for communicating biodiversity research in the Azorean region to the public. Published extensively using Azorean Islands as a model for understanding arthropod community structure in island ecosystems, with 251 published papers in ISI recognized journals (SCOPUS h-Index 50).
Registration
This is a FREE webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.
Certificates of attendance will be delivered to those who attend the live webinar.
Can’t attend? Register anyway and we’ll let you know when the recording is available to watch.
Program
|
Speaker |
Presentation Title |
Time in CEST |
Time in CST Asia |
|
Host |
Introduction |
12:00 - 12:10 pm |
6:00 – 6:10 pm |
|
Prof. Lynne U. Sneddon |
The Importance of Fish Welfare for Aquaculture, Fisheries and Safeguarding the Environment |
12:10 - 12:30 pm |
6:10 – 6:30 pm |
|
Dr. Subir Sarker |
Viruses of Threatened Australian Animals: Protecting Wildlife, Protecting Our Planet |
12:30 - 12:50 pm |
6:30 – 6:50 pm |
|
Prof. Dr. Paulo A. V. Borges |
The Conservation Value of Long-Term Monitoring of Arthropods on Islands |
12:50 - 1:10 pm |
6:50 – 7:10 pm |
|
Q&A Session |
1:10 - 1:25 pm |
7:10 – 7:25 pm |
|
|
Host |
Closing of Webinar |
1:25 - 1:30 pm |
7:25 – 7:30 pm |
Relevant Special Issues
Advancements in Animal Reproductive Biotechnology: Protecting the Future of Endangered Wildlife Species and Domestic Breeds
Guest Editors: Dr. Amin Sayyari and Prof. Dr. Ian Mayer
Deadline for submission: 31 December 2025
Conflict and Coexistence Between Humans and Wildlife
Guest Editor: Prof. Dr. Li Zhang
Deadline for submission: 31 March 2026
Conservation and Ecology of Polymorphic Animal Populations
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Luca Luiselli and Dr. Massimiliano Di Vittorio
Deadline for submission: 31 May 2026
Advances in Infectious and Parasitic Diseases of Animals
Topic Editors: Prof. Dr. Felipe M. Salvarani, Dr. Sheyla Farhayides Souza Domingues and Prof. Dr. Júlia Angélica Gonçalves Da Silveira
Deadline for abstract submission: 31 October 2026
Sponsors and Partners
Organizers
