Doctorate student wins Gustav Rosenberger Award

The Gustav Rosenberger Memorial Fund annually provides a grant to young, promising veterinarians from a country or area with suboptimal possibilities to develop veterinary knowledge in the field of cattle health.

Istianah attended the World Buiatrics Congress in Mexico last week, where she was presented with the award. It includes a grant of €10,000 which will be used towards her doctoratal research in Indonesia.

Istianah completed a Master of Veterinary Studies with Distinction at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University in 2020 and is now in her second year of her PhD. Her research explores dairy farmers’ attitudes towards animal welfare in Indonesia, and how the welfare outcomes affect dairy cattle productivity.

Istianah says the results of the study will be the basis for further research to find strategies and training to improve animal welfare in developing countries such as Indonesia.

“Improving welfare is not only about happy cattle, but also improving health, productivity, lower carbon footprints and maintaining the social license of dairy farming, which will lead to sustainability. I believe by improving animal welfare we can give a better life, not only for the animal but also for the farmers.”

Istianah says she is glad she chose to study at Massey and grateful for the support she has received.

“Studying here is one of the best decision I have ever made, as I can learn from the high calibre supervisors and lecturers. Massey has a track record of excellence in the field of veterinary science, especially in farm animal health and welfare, and New Zealand is known to be a responsible milk and meat producing country that takes animal welfare seriously.”

Production Animal Health and Welfare Professor Richard Laven says “Istianah is a dedicated veterinarian with a passion for improving the welfare of cattle in Indonesia and their owners. It was this dedication to cattle and human welfare which helped get her the scholarship.”

The Gustav Rosenberger Memorial Awards will support Istianah to undertake field work in the highlands in four provinces in Java Island, Indonesia (West Java, East Java, Central Java and Yogyakarta). The field research will start in June and is expected to end by September 2024.