Although this is an edition of the Journal celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (CTVM), tropical veterinary medicine has been taught at the Edinburgh Veterinary School for 65 years. During that time the emphasis has changed from the training solely of British veterinarians for work in the tropics to training both veterinarians and those from other disciplines from the tropics and subtropics. As a result CTVM graduates now work in most countries of the world in many different roles. The CTVM was formed 25 years ago to meet the increased demand for inservice postgraduate training for veterinarians from tropical countries. These 25 years have seen considerable changes in the training programmes offered by the CTVM to meet the developing needs of these countries. During this period the original DTVM course has been replaced by five MSc courses some of which are open to non veterinarians. The profile of the students attending these courses has constantly changed with the result that more than 1,100 students from 108 countries have attended during the 25 year period. The courses are constantly developing and now most are offered in modular form, one is available as a bilingual course (English/French) and some modules can be taught as "turnkey" courses in tropical countries. The links with research workers at the CTVM and those in the Edinburgh Centre of Rural Research (ECRR) have ensured that teaching programmes have been and continue to be relevant to current needs. In addition the CTVM graduates have proved to be a successful way of channelling research findings from these programmes to the tropics. The CTVM has provided a unique environment 55 degrees N of the equator where veterinarians and others interested in animal production and health from six continents can have access to up-to-date information and to exchange ideas with each other. Many subsequently return for refresher courses or just to renew old acquaintances.