Breeding confidence

You have undoubtedly registered that the title of my inaugural lecture is ambiguous; it can be interpreted in two different ways. This is no accident. I deliberately chose this doubleedged title because it neatly defines the multi-faceted nature of the chair to which I have been appointed; ‘Equine Medicine and Reproduction’. Given my background in reproduction, the most obvious interpretation of the title ‘Breeding confidence’ is confidence in the breeding industry. This relates directly to the current and future role of my group in fundamental and applied research into (in)fertility and assisted reproduction, primarily in the equine species. In other words, the development of a scientific basis for confidence in the Dutch breeding industry, including the prediction and monitoring of the fertility of breeding horses and the development of more successful and reliable techniques to achieve and maintain pregnancy in horses. The other possible interpretation of ‘Breeding confidence’ is the more general ‘propagation of trust’. The Equine Department has only existed in its current form for 9 years, but even in that short period it has been through a number of difficult moments including a second reorganisation arising from financial necessity. With regard to the Chair of Medicine and Reproduction, the combination of the two disciplines under one head has stimulated considerable comment both within and outside the department. With this in mind, I would like to use this public platform to share my vision of the future of the combined discipline and the role of its professor. The disciplines are not going to be merged; but they will be brought closer together. It goes without saying that it is no longer realistic to expect the chair to be the highest authority over the full range of veterinary medicine under his charge. But it is his responsibility to ensure that the necessary expertise is in-house, in the form of the senior lecturers and lecturers under his command. The professor is, in short, primarily the manager of a group of specialists and emerging specialists. In situations where a new leader or manager is appointed who is not leading authority over the full breadth of his area of responsibility, one of the most important formative management tasks is the previously alluded to ‘propagation of trust’. This applies not only to the propagation of trust within the group; it is just as important to ensure that outsiders have confidence that the group under its new leadership is heading in the right direction. Within the group, the main initial task is to establish and transmit a clear, broadly-supported, forwardlooking strategy. From the group, the emphasis will also be on communication; giving a clear signal to the Dutch equine industry and the international veterinary community that the group is productively and innovatively pushing the boundaries of veterinary education, research and patient care.