Dr. Drh. Kadek Karang Agustina, SKH, MP. is an accomplished Associate Professor in the Department of Veterinary Public Health at Udayana University, where he has been a dedicated academic and researcher since 2008. A visionary in the field of animal welfare and public health, Dr. Agustina is the founder and chairman of AWATARA (Animal Welfare Assistance Training Research and Assessment), a pioneering expert group established in 2024 under Udayana University’s Rector Decree No. 594/UN14/HK/2024. AWATARA focuses on advancing animal welfare for both livestock and companion animals, with the ultimate goal of ensuring food security and enhancing human well-being.

An esteemed educator, Dr. Agustina actively teaches a range of critical subjects, including animal welfare, public health, animal product safety, zoonoses, epidemiology, veterinary communication, and One Health. His passion for interdisciplinary collaboration is evident in his role as Secretary of the Udayana One Health Collaborating Center (OHCC) since 2020. Under his leadership, OHCC has implemented impactful community empowerment programs to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), starting in five villages in Tabanan, Bali, in 2022. OHCC also fosters strong collaborations with national and international organizations to address pressing issues such as antimicrobial use (AMU), AMR, zoonoses, emerging infectious diseases, and transboundary animal diseases.

Beyond these efforts, Dr. Agustina serves as a research collaborator with Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA) and Animal Don’t Speak Human (ADSH), while also contributing as a board member of the Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association, shaping the future of veterinary medicine in Indonesia. His dedication to animal welfare transcends academia. From 2015 to 2023, he collaborated with the BAWA to implement Program Dharma followed by Program Dewata in 2024 and continuing to the present, a community-driven initiative enhancing animal welfare and public health to independently combat rabies outbreaks. These programs underscore his commitment to sustainable public health solutions. Additionally, from 2023 to 2024, he partnered with ADSH to conduct pioneering research and campaigns improving livestock welfare in Bali, further bridging animal welfare and community well-being.

Currently, from February 2025 to mid-2026, AWATARA is implementing initiatives aimed at enhancing the welfare of livestock, particularly chickens. We are engaging hotels and restaurants to commit to sourcing and selling chicken products from farms that adhere to animal welfare principles. This effort is expected to increase the demand for welfare-certified chicken meat. Such opportunities encourage farmers to improve the welfare of their chickens and strive to obtain certification for their farms.