"IFAWF strengthened my confidence in embarking on the difficult yet meaningful path of animal welfare. This is a reassuring place, full of people with care and love. It is inspiring to see individuals from various fields working together to speak for animals, also to speak for the planet."

"IFAWF helped me immensely to embrace the complexity of farm animal welfare in China, to network with the most brilliant minds, and to envision a hopeful career to improve the lives of farm animals. I have since initiated a collaborative research project on improving laying hen welfare In China!

I was very excited to know new fellows and resonated with people from different career backgrounds in animal welfare."

"The fellowship helped me feel I am not alone in dealing with animal welfare issues in China. It’s a safe place to talk about animal welfare issues that concern us, talk about struggles in life, and a great place to meet like-minded people. I also like that we have such a diverse group of people coming from different perspectives about animal welfare in China, and we can share our own perspectives in a respectful way. It’s a great place to connect, learn and grow."

"It was really nice to meet those lovely people from different fields in IFAWF. I found it is very enjoyable to share research experience and learn from each other during the fellowship, although it was completely conducted online. The improvement of animal welfare is not easy, it would need efforts from both animal and human perspectives. I am so thankful to all of you made this journey so interesting and informative."

"I am grateful to have taken part in the IFAWF and delighted to be part of this community. To meet others who share a similar passion to improve farmed animal welfare in China, and who also come from various backgrounds and experiences, greatly enhanced all our learning and growth. Above all, the weekly sessions to meet those working in this space and to learn from them was invaluable networking and knowledge enrichment, a truly unique career opportunity that gives us fellows a leg up into starting or continuing our work."

"The biggest gain is to meet a group of like-minded friends, find a common voice in a relatively marginal discipline and gain support from the group. Thanks to the diversity of the IFAWF program, it can help get to know professionals in different fields and get corresponding communication and support in related fields."

"I knew since high school that I wanted to work in Chinese farm animal welfare, but it wasn't until participating in the IFAWF that I finally crystalized how. Without question, the program has been such a gift: meeting other like-minded young people from around the world; learning from guest speakers at the cutting edge of their fields; benefitting from a robust support system whose primary goal is to help us help animals. I'm so thankful for this community, and for the organizers who make it possible."

"Firstly, I would like to thank the organizers for inviting me to be a member of the fellowship, I’ve really learned a lot from every online meeting and met a lot of the renowned authors who I previously read about in academic articles. I really appreciate all the speakers for giving me the strength and confidence to carry on. Last, I want to express my gratitude for the organizers and other fellows’ help, since I nearly give up the research without seeing their persistence and efforts on animal welfare."

"Taking part in the IFAWF made me realise the diversity of stakeholders invested in farm animal welfare in China. This has given me a greater appreciation for the intersections between my own research in alternative proteins, and other industries. I feel buoyed by the passion, determination and sharp strategic approach my peers are taking to an issue that has wide-scale impact, and look forward to remaining in touch with them and their journey in this space."