From the start of their career, professors receive a great deal of autonomy in terms of fulfilling their assignment and the development of their career. KU Leuven attaches great importance to the broad professional development of their professors and to the diversification of academic careers.

Young professors are supported by means of a start-up financing and a tenure track career path that gives them the opportunity to prove themselves as an assistant professor for five years on the basis of pre-determined and agreed criteria. The tenure track assistant professor is supervised by a coach. Various forms of career support (coaching, development interviews, self-reflection tools, ...) help them to determine their career goals for the short and long term, taking into account both their individual needs and the objectives of their faculty or department.

Professors can also take time off and sabbatical leave which can allow them to gain external experiences during their careers and to organize their work, family and other life domains in a flexible way.

KU Leuven offers through various services a framework for the professional support of academics with regard to research, acquisition of research funding, education, development of a research group, research and educational innovation, knowledge and technology transfer and science communication.

In addition, there is a range of training opportunities that contribute to their professional and personal development: computer science courses, language courses, as well as training to develop your personal, interactive, didactic, managerial and (self-) management skills.

On the basis of a performance-related assessment by a domain-specific assessment committee, a professor can request a promotion to a higher salary grade. If they receive a positive assessment after the 5 year period, assistant professors in a tenure track are automatically promoted to the rank of associate professor.

KU Leuven strives to create a stimulating and appreciative environment for academics. Assessments take the diversity of career paths as a starting point and allow room to clarify personal circumstances and choices. The assessment process is embedded in a broader career development policy. KU Leuven uses clear guidelines for the responsible use of metrics and quantitative indicators.