Massey Veterinary School gets an upgrade

Massey’s School of Veterinary Science is an internationally accredited and first-class educational facility, ranked in the top 20 vet schools in the world. To maintain this high standard and boost it even further, the Vet School has now opened a new student learning complex.

The new building comes as part of a ten-year, $160 million capital project and is expected to reach its completion by 2024. The next two years will see the opening of a new farm animal hospital, a new research and student support building, and a revamping of the existing Small Animal Clinic.

The new Tāwharau Ora building boasts top-of-the-range facilities designed to cater for the 125 students that make up each year group of the Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree. It provides sleek new classrooms where students will learn anatomy and practice the skills they need in veterinary clinics. The spaces come with new, specialised equipment such as mannequins, gantry rails and tables, and digital equipment, most of which was made in New Zealand.

“When I first started studying here, I was overwhelmed by Massey’s vet facilities. Even though I won't be able to use this new building much, I definitely know that students will be very grateful, and that this building will produce some top-quality vets. It is awesome to see the amount that Massey invests in our education,” says Jack, final year vet student.

The Tāwharau Ora building was gifted its name in 2019, by Associate Professor, Pukenga Reo Hone Morris and the Māori Language Advisory Group. The name encapsulates the school’s aim of being a place of wellbeing, healing and rediscovery for animals, but also staff and students.

“Tāwharau can be translated as shelter or haven, and the meanings of Ora include health, safe, recover and heal,” says Veterinary Science Senior Lecturer, Eloise Jillings.

“I haven’t been inside the building yet but I am excited to. I know that it has spent a long time in the works and I can definitely feel it will help improve the learning of lots of students throughout their time at uni. It looks awesome,” says Christian Cacace, first-year BVS student.