Professional Development

The EAZA Academy delivers a wide range of high quality, applied and accessible courses taught by knowledgeable professionals working within the zoo and aquarium community and dedicated to all sectors. The training offer is regularly evaluated to ensure it remains current and of a high value.

Since 2010, the EAZA Academy has delivered over 150 courses to more than 3,800 attendees, of whom 20% were from non-EAZA organisations. EAZA Academy page to learn more about: 

• The courses we offer
• Teaching on a course
• Learning how to get a course EAZA Academy recognized 

  Follow the EAZA Academy on Facebook for the latest information. 

 For any other inquiries, please email EAZA Academy.

Zookeeper training opportunities vary greatly across Europe. While some countries have standardised formal qualifications, resources and standardised training opportunities are lacking in many other countries. This has resulted in a clear skills gap in professional zookeeping in many European countries.  

The goals of the EPZQF project were to:

• develop a European Professional Zookeeper Qualification Framework identifying the key competencies required to be a professional zookeeper working in an EU zoo or aquarium,
• design several training modules to help staff reach the expected competency levels. 

The first phase of the EPZQF project was coordinated by EAZA from 2015-2018, in partnership with several zoos, regional associations, and educational institutions.

The EPZQF was co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme.

Cooperation is at the heart of EAZA’s work. We organize a variety of general and specialist events to share the latest knowledge of zoo and aquarium practice and learn about each other’s disciplines and expertise. 

• Learn more about the different EAZA events!
• Check out the event calendar containing EAZA and non-EAZA gatherings relevant to our community.
• Would you like to host an EAZA event?