Veterinary education and sustainable development goals: A perspective from professional students in Indonesia

Veterinary medicine plays a crucial role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the integration of SDG-related competencies into veterinary curricula and students' perceptions of these global goals remain underexplored, particularly in developing country contexts like Indonesia.

This study evaluated how veterinary professional students in Indonesia perceive the interaction between the 17 SDGs and two core veterinary domains: animal welfare and human well-being influenced by animals. It also assessed their perceptions of the contribution of their veterinary education to preparing them for SDG achievement.

A cross-sectional survey was administered to 40 final-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students at Universitas Hasanuddin, Indonesia, including quantitative scales and qualitative justifications. Students rated SDG interactions with the two veterinary domains using a 7-point scale (from -3 to +3). The contribution of veterinary education to each SDG was rated on a 5-point scale.

Students perceived an overall positive interaction between the SDGs and both animal welfare (+1.53 ± 1.03) and human well-being influenced by animals (+1.47 ± 1.02). SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for The Goals) were ranked highest for both domains. In contrast, systemic goals such as SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) were perceived as having the weakest interactions. The evaluation of the contribution of veterinary education was moderate (3.56 ± 0.97), with the perceived preparedness being highest for health-related goals and lowest for the same systemic goals.

Veterinary education at Universitas Hasanuddin moderately prepares students to address SDGs, with a stronger perceived emphasis on health-related goals. Further curricular integration focusing on systemic sustainability principles is recommended to enhance Indonesian veterinarians' global competence. These findings from a single institution provide a baseline for multi-institutional studies and curriculum reviews across Indonesia.