Kathalijne Visser
Professor Dr. Kathalijne Visser, an esteemed expert in Human-Animal Interactions, holds a professorship at Aeres University of Applied Sciences, Dronten. She earned her Animal Science degree from Wageningen University and completed her groundbreaking PhD on horse personalities at Utrecht University in 2002. Her doctoral work, titled "Horsonality," focused on the personality of horses and marked a significant contribution to equine behaviour studies. After completing her PhD, Dr. Visser continued to lead impactful research projects in the realm of equine welfare, particularly concerning housing, feeding, and training of horses. In 2012, she played a pivotal role in developing the Dutch welfare monitoring system for horses, drawing from the Welfare Quality system principles. Her expertise also extends to co-promoting several PhD students, thereby nurturing the next generation of scholars in her field. She chaired the organizing committee of the ISES Conference in the Netherlands in 2011, a significant event for the society. In her current role, she focuses on the welfare of dogs and horses in work, therapy, sports, and recreation, and is a recognized member of the FEI Equine Ethics and Well-Being Commission. Throughout her career, she has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to improving the well-being of animals, particularly horses and dogs, through her research, teaching, and various leadership roles in professional societies and commissions.