Laboratory Animal Use Certificate Course: Building Competence for Ethical and Reliable Research
The 1st Laboratory Animal Use Certificate Course was organised under the coordination of Near East University’s Research Competence Development Unit, operating under the Rectorate, through cooperation among the NESA Laboratory Animal Research Centre, the Near East University Local Ethics Committee for Animal Experiments and the Near East University Laboratory Animal Research Centre.
Designed as both a certification programme and a professional development opportunity, the course brought together theoretical knowledge, practical laboratory experience, research ethics and current regulatory requirements. Its broader aim was to help researchers develop the scientific knowledge, technical skills and ethical awareness required for responsible research involving laboratory animals.
A Programme Combining Theory and Practice
The theoretical component of the course was delivered online between 13 and 23 August 2026, followed by practical training conducted in the laboratories of the Near East University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine between 1 and 5 September 2026.
The programme covered Categories A, B and C and included species-specific training for laboratory animals commonly used in scientific research, including mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and hamsters. Participants who successfully completed the theoretical and practical components and fulfilled the assessment requirements became eligible to receive the Laboratory Animal Use Certificate.
This combination of structured theoretical learning and supervised practical experience was intended to ensure that participants understood both the scientific principles underlying laboratory animal research and the practical responsibilities associated with working directly with animals.
Why Certification Matters
The use of animals in scientific research requires a combination of scientific competence, ethical judgement and practical skill. In Türkiye, the procedures and principles relating to animal experiments are regulated by the Regulation on the Working Procedures and Principles of Animal Experiments Ethics Committees, published in the Official Gazette on 15 February 2014.
Under Article 18 of the Regulation, individuals who do not hold a Laboratory Animal Use Certificate are not permitted to conduct procedures on animals for experimental, educational or testing purposes or to house these animals in their working environments. Research projects submitted to a Local Ethics Committee for Animal Experiments also cannot be approved if the individuals who will conduct animal procedures do not hold the required certificate.
The certificate therefore represents more than attendance at a training programme. Successful completion demonstrates that participants have acquired fundamental knowledge and practical competencies for working with laboratory animals within an ethically, legally and scientifically appropriate framework.
International and Ethical Foundations of Laboratory Animal Science
The protection of animals used in scientific research has also developed through international legal and ethical frameworks.
The European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals Used for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes, opened for signature by the Council of Europe in 1986, established principles relating to the care, housing, breeding, use and protection of laboratory animals. It also emphasised the importance of appropriate education, training and practical competence for individuals conducting procedures or caring for laboratory animals.
In the same period, Council Directive 86/609/EEC introduced common standards within the European Community for the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes. In the United States, the Animal Welfare Act, first introduced in 1966 and subsequently amended, established requirements concerning the humane treatment, care and use of animals in research and strengthened institutional responsibilities for animal welfare and personnel training.
Together, such frameworks have contributed to the development of modern Laboratory Animal Science as a multidisciplinary field in which scientific quality, professional competence, ethical responsibility and animal welfare are closely interconnected.
As the legislative framework governing animal experiments in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus remains under development, the course curriculum was prepared with reference to the relevant legislation of the Republic of Türkiye, the directives of the Central Ethics Committee for Animal Experiments and training principles supported by the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations.
The multidisciplinary structure of the programme enabled participants to consider laboratory animal use from scientific, veterinary, ethical, legal and animal welfare perspectives.
Ethics and the 3Rs
A central component of the course was the ethical foundation of animal experimentation and the internationally recognised 3Rs principle: Replacement, Reduction and Refinement.
Replacement encourages researchers to use non-animal methods whenever scientifically appropriate alternatives are available.
Reduction focuses on obtaining scientifically valid results while using the minimum number of animals necessary.
Refinement involves improving experimental procedures, housing and care conditions to minimise pain, suffering, distress and discomfort.
These principles connect scientific quality directly with animal welfare. They encourage researchers to consider not only whether a study can be conducted, but also how it can be designed and carried out in the most responsible way possible. Beyond the 3Rs, the programme addressed the biology, anatomy, physiology and behaviour of laboratory animals; species-specific housing and environmental conditions; nutrition and health monitoring; hygiene and biosafety; safe handling and restraint techniques; anaesthesia and analgesia; humane endpoints; euthanasia methods; experimental design; occupational health and safety; and the legal responsibilities of laboratory animal users.
From Knowledge to Practice
The practical component allowed participants to apply their theoretical knowledge in a supervised laboratory environment.
Training focused on the correct handling and restraint of different laboratory animal species, appropriate experimental procedures and the recognition of signs associated with pain, stress, discomfort or impaired welfare. This practical dimension was particularly important because competence in Laboratory Animal Science depends not only on understanding principles, but also on being able to apply them consistently and responsibly.
Hands-on learning also provided an opportunity to connect ethical principles with day-to-day research practice. Decisions concerning handling, housing, procedures, monitoring and humane endpoints can influence both animal welfare and the quality of the scientific data generated.
Training for Reliable and Reproducible Research
The competence of personnel working with laboratory animals has a direct relationship with the reliability, reproducibility and scientific validity of research.
Appropriate selection, housing, care, handling and use of laboratory animals require comprehensive theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Inadequate knowledge or technical skill may compromise animal welfare while also affecting the reliability of research findings.
For this reason, researchers conducting experimental procedures, personnel participating in studies and individuals responsible for the daily care of laboratory animals must possess appropriate scientific knowledge, practical competence and ethical awareness.
The course was therefore designed not simply to meet certification requirements, but to contribute to a broader culture of research quality. Participants were encouraged to approach animal-based research as a process in which experimental design, technical competence, ethics and welfare considerations are inseparable.
Strengthening an Ethical Research Culture
The 1st Laboratory Animal Use Certificate Course represents one example of how the Research Competence Development Unit translates researcher development into practice.
Through cooperation with structures specialising in laboratory animal research and research ethics, the programme brought together researchers, trainers, veterinarians, ethics committee members and experts in Laboratory Animal Science. This created a platform for sharing both scientific knowledge and practical experience.
The course contributed to the development of researchers’ professional competencies while reinforcing the importance of ethical and responsible conduct in studies involving animals. At the institutional level, it supported wider objectives related to research quality, reproducibility, animal welfare and appropriate ethical oversight.
By integrating certification with professional development, Near East University seeks to ensure that researchers are equipped not only to meet formal requirements, but also to understand the scientific and ethical responsibilities that accompany the use of animals in research.
The Research Competence Development Unit will continue to support training activities that respond to researchers’ evolving needs, strengthen institutional research capacity and promote internationally recognised standards in scientific research and education