Queen Sonja of Norway has overseen the official opening of the brand new Veterinary Building at the University of Ås. On her way to the Veterinary College and the Animal Hospital, on September 1st 2021, the Queen walked along the park route where she was given told about the expansion of the park with more art and planting.
During the outdoor ceremony, there were speeches, key presentations and cultural events with the student choirs at the university in honour of the royal visit. Three ministers – the Minister of Research and Higher Education, the Minister of Agriculture and Food as well as the Minister of Fisheries and Seafood – attended the event alongside Queen Sonja.
After the official opening, the Queen was given a tour of the buildings. At the Veterinary Institute, the Queen was briefed on art and the department’s responsibility for preventive and foresighted preparedness to prevent and combat health threats to fish, land animals and humans. In the laboratory for molecular biology, the Queen was given a demonstration of how the department works with emergency preparedness diagnostics.
At the Animal Hospital, Queen Sonja heard about different types of treatments and what opportunities have opened up in the new building. Among other things, the Queen got to see a dog in the rehabilitation pool after surgery and finally an examination of a horse running on a treadmill. Queen Sonja was given a lecture in the laboratory for molecular biology. Here she heard about the emergency preparedness work to protect animals, fish and people from serious health threats.
The investment in the University of Ås and the co-location of the Norwegian Veterinary College and the Veterinary Institute is an important boost for animal health, fish health and social security in Norway. The new veterinary building is 63,000 square meters large and divided into eight contiguous buildings with a total of 2,400 rooms. Here you will find, among other things, laboratories, animal hospitals, aquariums and other special areas together with the latest in veterinary medical equipment for research, diagnostics, treatment of animals and control of infection.
