Peking University, March 7, 2022: On March 3, 2022, the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) officially granted Peking University’s Laboratory Animal Centre (PKULAC) full accreditation. PKU was the first Chinese university to be fully accredited in 2008, making this its 4th accreditation.
The AAALAC evaluators, including Dr. Chung-Tiang Liang, Dr. Ma Huazh and Dr. Wang Jianfei, conducted a comprehensive on-site assessment at Peking University from Nov. 29 to Nov. 30 in 2021. Professor Liu Kexin, chairman of PKU Laboratory and Equipment Administration Centre, along with other distinguished guests attended the welcome ceremony.
Group photo
On the welcome ceremony, Prof. Liu Kexing reiterated PKU’s commitment to laboratory animal care, manifested in the establishment of a school-based committee and expert panel for the management of laboratory animals, and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for oversight of ethical problems and overall supervision. He expressed thanks to the AAALAC on behalf of the school for their continued guidance and support, and reiterated PKU’s commitment to laboratory animal work. PKU, he said, will continue to be an exemplar for institutions in China, aiding in the spread of AAALAC’s mission and values across the country.
Distinguished guests including Li Genping, Head of the Beijing Experiment Animal Management Office, also gave their addresses on behalf of their respective departments.
After the welcome ceremony, the AAALAC evaluation team reviewed PKU’s Program Description, animal feeding facilities and various materials and archives regarding lab work, accompanied by members of the PKU IACUC. The evaluation team affirmed PKU’s recent efforts, and gave suggestions for improvements based on their observations. PKU responded positively to the feedback within the stipulated time as well, earning praise from the evaluation team. On the 2022 AAALAC Council Annual Meeting, PKULAC passed the vote and obtained full accreditation.
Background information
AAALAC International is a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation and assessment programs. The AAALAC accreditation is now a basic standard for international exchange and competition; the US and the EU, for example, strongly recommend that animal experiments be conducted exclusively in accredited laboratories . Currently, more than 1,040 organizations in 50 countries have earned AAALAC accreditation. (Read more: AAALAC website)
Written by: Glenda Ho
Edited by: Ye Yimeng
