My engagement in Poultry Science started in 1971. As PHD student at the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany, I was privileged to attend the World's Poultry Congress in Rio de Janeiro 1978. Having served in FAO HQs from 1985 to 1990 I was granted the chair of Small Animal Sciences (Poultry) of the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany in 1990. I became a member of the working group IX of the European section of WPSA at their early beginning and I am still a member of this group today. My special interest is behaviour and management of broilers and laying hens. In this capacity I was involved in drafting the scientific background reviews for the EU regulations for broilers and laying hens. Germany. I am especially interested to encourage Bachelor and Master students of livestock sciences to join WPSA and to establish contacts with the poultry industry. With regard to my activities in poultry development projects of FAO I hosted students from many developing counties in my institute. At present I am Senior Vice-President of WPSA and president of the German Branch of WPSA. I retired in 2014 from my post as Professor at the University of Hohenheim, but I am still involved in research and teaching on a voluntary basis.