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On 10 September, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Zaragoza hosted the First In-Person Conference of the National Union of Pig Production Courses. The event, which brought together more than 250 attendees, including students from 10 veterinary faculties across Spain, was sponsored at Gold level by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health España. Through its participation, the company reaffirmed its commitment to education, young talent, and the development of veterinary professionals equipped to address the current and future challenges facing the pig sector.
The event placed new generations at the center of the conversation and addressed key issues such as the professional challenges facing young people, the different career paths available, communication, the connection between universities and businesses, and the importance of mental health in veterinary practice, among others. It combined roundtables on university classrooms, the challenges facing young people, and career paths in the veterinary profession with technical workshops and opportunities for dialogue with participating companies.
The human side of veterinary health
One of the highlights of the session was the presentation by Gisela Girmé, Marketing Manager for Production Animals at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Spain, entitled “The Human Side of Veterinary Health.” She used the talk to emphasize the importance of caring for those who care for animal health, bearing in mind that the future of the pig sector is already in the classroom.
Through her speech, Gisela Girmé invited future professionals to pay attention to emotional well-being, self-care, and the demands associated with developing their profession. A particularly important message for those who are about to take their first steps into the working world.
“The future of veterinary medicine depends not only on technical knowledge. It also depends on our ability to build a profession in which people can grow, ask for help, and look after their well-being. Supporting new generations means offering them tools to pursue their calling, but also to face the human challenges they will encounter along the way”, Gisela Girmé noted.
The event also featured Julia Cantín, Swine Brand Manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health España, on the roundtable “And when you graduate, what next?”, which gave students the opportunity to hear about the career experiences of young professionals in a range of fields. Mar Avilés, of Lleidambient S.L., also took part in the student roundtable “The Swine Classrooms”, sharing her experience in this forum for discussion and exchange among students.
Ten faculties, one generation, and one shared purpose
The National Union of Swine Production Clubs was established as a statewide network to connect Veterinary Medicine and Agricultural Engineering students, promote shared learning, and bring academic training closer to the realities of swine production.
During this first edition, the presence of students from around ten veterinary faculties across the country turned this initiative into an inter-university meeting point for sharing experiences, concerns and expectations about entering the job market and the role they wish to play in the evolution of the pig farming sector.
The gathering fostered dialogue among students, the university, professionals, and companies around a key question: how to build the future of the pig farming sector together. In this regard, the event sought to give students a voice, as they shared their views and actively participated in the debate on the challenges facing their professional future.
For Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health España, this sponsorship represents an opportunity to listen to and support new generations, as well as to introduce them to the opportunities and impact of the veterinary profession. Because generational renewal begins in spaces where young people can learn, connect, and discover the value of their contribution to the pig sector. That is why supporting the talent being developed in classrooms today means contributing to the future of the sector.
6 October 2026 - Boehringer Ingelheim