Education and training is closely linked to the quality of performance of all levels of LAS personnel and directly effects both the welfare of the animals used in research and the quality of research. However, looking globally, there are significant regional differences in the challenges and opportunities we face. Currently, the number of countries where research is carried out is continuously increasing and there is a global exchange of research results and of scientists. However, education and training in LAS is only well established in a few countries and we cannot achieve high standards of quality in science without the proper training of all categories of personnel involved in animal experimentation. For example, Europe and North America have well established training programs and, as in the case of AALAS and FELASA, well established schedules for certification and accreditation of the personnel and of the E&T programs respectively. There is also a network of laboratory animal medicine colleges (IACLAM) for the education and examination of veterinarians as a mechanism of veterinary specialization. We need to use all of these already existing programs and strategies to be able to respond to the demand for training, especially from emerging countries. In parallel, we also need to establish globally accepted systems of accreditation and certification in order to ensure high standards in both education and science. During this presentation the main current global initiatives and future challenges in laboratory animal science education and training will be discussed.