The RCVS Impact Award
Know someone making significant contributions to animal health, welfare, or public health? Find out how to nominate them for an RCVS Impact Award here.
The RCVS International Award
The RCVS International Award recognises the outstanding achievements of people working internationally to advance veterinary medicine and animal welfare beyond UK borders.
The RCVS International Award was introduced in 2017. It recognises veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and laypeople who have made significant contributions to our field worldwide.
The award recognises people who have advanced animal health, welfare and veterinary standards. It celebrates excellence in global veterinary leadership - whether through groundbreaking research, education, policy development, or direct animal welfare improvements.
We present up to two awards each year, ensuring each recipient receives proper recognition for their exceptional achievements.
Who can be nominated?
If you know someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the veterinary profession beyond the UK, you can nominate them for the RCVS International Award.
Nominees don't need to be RCVS members or even veterinary professionals. What matters is their outstanding contribution to veterinary medicine or animal welfare on an international scale.
How to make a nomination
Only RCVS Members (MRCVS) and Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs) can submit nominations.
This award is also open to self-nomination. If you are self-nominating, please be sure to complete the form in the third person using your own name and preferred pronouns in place of 'I' to avoid bias.
Download and complete the PDF nomination form, providing as much detail as possible about why the nominee deserves the award. Each nomination must include:
- A detailed explanation of the nominee's international achievements
- Evidence of significant impact beyond UK borders
- A clear connection to veterinary medicine or animal welfare advancement
- Supporting documentation, where relevant
Completed forms should be submitted via our Honours and Awards web form.
Key dates
- Deadline for nominations: 5pm, Wednesday 7 January 2026
- Winners announced: March 2026
- Awards ceremony: RCVS College Day, 3 July 2026
Previous recipients
Since 2017, we've recognised remarkable people whose work spans continents and transforms lives. Their achievements demonstrate the global impact of veterinary excellence.
2025
Dr Paweł Beczkowski FRCVS
Paweł was honoured for his involvement in international bodies, and for carrying out research with internationally-recognised benefits for animal health and welfare and veterinary professionalism. Paweł is currently a Clinical Associate Professor at City University of Hong Kong’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences.
Dr Luke Gamble FRCVS
Luke was recognised for his work as the founder of Worldwide Veterinary Services (WVS) and its sister charity Mission Rabies. These organisations improve animal and human health in the developing world through ‘trap-neuter-vaccinate-return’ (TNVR) programmes for stray and feral animals in Cambodia, India, Malawi, Morocco and Thailand. They have also trained thousands of local veterinary surgeons in TNVR techniques.
2024
Dr Nancy de Briyne
Nancy’s work as the Executive Director of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) since 2021and her international advocacy for responsible drug use are the reasons she was honoured with this award. Nancy has worked at FVE, the representative body for veterinary organisations from 38 European countries including the United Kingdom, since 2000. FVE acts as a coordinating body, allowing vets from across the continent to share best practice and knowledge.
Professor Susan Mbuga
Professor Mbuga is the founding member of the Kenya Small and Companion Animal Veterinary Association (KESCAVA), and before that the Kenya Women Veterinary Association (KWVA). Under her leadership, the KWVA developed an outreach program that educated women, especially in rural areas, on good animal husbandry. Her leadership of KESCAVA has seen it become a member of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association.
2023
Dr Denis Novak MRCVS
Denis was recognised for his work improving standards in veterinary education in Serbia through his work as the President of the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA). He also founded the Eastern European Regional Veterinary Conference (EERVC), which has helped to bring affordable, continuing professional development (CPD) and networking opportunities to veterinary professionals from across the region.
2022
Miranda Luck RVN
Her international animal welfare consultancy work, focusing on improving conditions for animals in shelters in countries across the world is the reason Miranda was recognised. This includes contributing to legislation and the development of shelter standards in the United Arab Emirates and South Korea. As an international volunteer, Miranda is also involved in a variety of animal welfare activities such as feline trap-neuter-return projects, street dog population management, and disaster relief operations.
Professor Holger Volk MRCVS
The impact of Professor Volk’s veterinary neurology research on society, animal welfare and clinical practice earned him the award. His research group was the first to publish peer-reviewed evidence that medical scent detection dogs can discriminate between samples from people with Covid-19 and people who were not infected.
2021
Emeritus Professor Michael Day FRCVS
Professor Day was nominated posthumously by Dr Frances Barr FRCVS, a veterinary surgeon who worked with him at the University of Bristol and while he was Chair of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Education Committee.
Professor Day was praised as a prolific researcher and writer, focusing on companion animal immune-mediated and infectious diseases. His contributions to the field were acknowledged by many other awards, including the BSAVA Amoroso Award (1999), the RCVS Trust's G Norman Hall medal (2003) and the Pet Plan Charitable Trust Scientific Award (2009).
2019
Dr Abdul-Jalil Mohammadzai
Abdul-Jalil's exceptional achievements in improving animal health and welfare in one of the most challenging parts of the world, Kabul, Afghanistan, was the reason for him being recognised.
Dr Samuel Thevasagayam
Samuel was honoured for his work improving the health of livestock, optimising livestock productivity and enabling economic growth of people who depend on livestock, particularly in the developing world.
2018
Dr Alemayehu Hailemariam
Alemayehu was recognised for carrying out much of the Brooke equine charity’s clinical and education fieldwork in Ethiopia. He appeared on our RCVS Podcast talking about his work for the charity in Ethiopia.
Rachel Wright
Rachel was recognised for her work as the founder of the Tree of Life for Animals (or TOLFA) animal hospital in Rajasthan, India. Rachel appeared on our RCVS Podcast, talking about working in the animal charity sector in India.
2017
Christophe Buhot
Christophe received the award for his contribution to the veterinary profession across the continent and for championing Vet Futures Europe and Vet Futures France.