A change that empowers academics
This new focus on core domains gives academics the opportunity to shape their careers and thrive in the areas where they excel. Moving away from a traditional, uniform approach, we are transitioning to a more flexible, diverse, team-oriented, and personalised model. This allows academics to specialise and shine in one of the three domains.
Jeroen Geurts, Rector Magnificus of VU Amsterdam, is proud of how the university is concretely implementing the Recognition & Rewards initiative: "With this change, we’re giving academics at all levels – assistant professor, associate professor, or full professor – the opportunity to customise their careers. The idea that every scholar must excel in all core domains is no longer tenable – or necessary. This shift creates new possibilities for both horizontal and vertical career development and helps academics make the most of their talents.”
A significant shift in academic careers
Jeroen Geurts emphasises: “We’ve worked for a long time to develop a new model for academic careers, and now it’s time to put it into practice. This is an important moment for VU and for all academics who want to build on their primary strengths and expertise. Many academics have experienced an excessive emphasis on research outputs, which has put ambitions in teaching, societal impact, and leadership under pressure. That is now changing.”
“The idea that every scholar must excel in all core domains is no longer tenable – or necessary.”
Flexibility in choosing your focus
In line with national initiatives for the broader recognition and rewarding of academics, VU Amsterdam has spent the past two years developing new career paths. These pathways aim to bring greater diversity to academic work and evaluate quality more broadly, moving beyond a reliance on rigid quantitative metrics. Academics who meet the basic requirements of their role can, together with their manager, choose to focus on one of the three domains.
If you are strong in a particular domain, you can dedicate more energy to it while continuing to develop in the other areas. Importantly, this is not about prioritising one domain at the expense of others but about setting accents. The combination of teaching and research remains the foundation of every academic career. When choosing your focus, consider what aligns with your ambitions and the skills you wish to further develop. Equally important is to reflect on how your choice contributes to the goals of your team, department, and faculty. It is this combination of talents within the team that strengthens the collective.
When and how to define your focus
You will agree on your focus domain during your annual consultation – an opportunity to reflect on your career and set goals for the future. In consultation with your manager and within the context of your department’s needs, you will determine your focus together. Further information on the process is available here, including resources such as reflective questions to help you assess your current academic profile in relation to the three core domains (teaching, research, and societal impact) and leadership.
Read more about Recognition & Rewards.
