On February 4, 2010 a formal agreement between Perm State Pharmaceutical Academy and the International Network for Humane Education (InterNICHE) was signed.

Perm State Pharmaceutical Academy now becomes the tenth Russian higher education institution to sign a contract with InterNICHE concerning the introduction of alternatives to animal labs. 

According to the contract terms, InterNICHE grants the academy computer programs for use in the classroom as an alternative to dissection and animal experimentation in different courses, while the Academy guarantees to stop all animal labs carried out during studies.

Active promotion of humane teaching tools made by VITA and InterNICHE campaigners in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus has resulted in the introduction of alternatives in dozens of universities of CIS countries and the replacement of the annual use of thousands of animals. The progress of this curricular change is described in the new Russian film »Humane Education in the CIS countries« made by VITA and InterNICHE with the support of Doctors Against Animal Experiments. 

The first institution of higher education to abolish all animal labs was Velikie Luki State Agricultural Academy, which signed contracts with InterNICHE in 2006 and 2009. (Another Russian university who has become a pioneer in introduction alternatives is St Petersburg State Academy of the Veterinary Medicine, which signed on October 24th, 2005, a historic agreement with InterNICHE on the cancelation of experiments on animals in the university’s departments of pharmacology and toxicology) But whereas in this and other institutions the animal labs were stopped at the faculty or departmental level, the contract with Perm State Pharmaceutical Academy provides for a total cessation of all animal labs in all departments. 

The ground for introducing alternatives in Perm was prepared by campaigners of the Perm organisations »ZZZ« and »Snow Leopard«. In May 2009 they worked closely with Alexey Skrobanskiy, InterNICHE Russia alternatives adviser and co-ordinator of the Arkhangelsk chapter of VITA, to hold a series of talks and presentations of alternatives at universities in Perm. 

Now pharmacology and other disciplines will be based on modern alternative technologies. This will significantly enhance the quality of teaching, save the lives of dozens of animals, and serve the future promotion of humane education in Russia. The project was finanicially supported by Doctors Against Animal Experiments Germany. 

Further information Overview of the whole project (in German) >> Trilingual Website (German, Ukrainian, Russian)