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Latest developments, resources and events from Advancing Teaching and the wider higher education community.
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Advancing Teaching
NATIONAL REFORM
Septmeber 2026
The Netherlands
Reforming the recognition and reward of academic careers
Through the Recognition & Rewards initiative, all Dutch universities agreed shared priorities for reforming academic careers, while retaining institutional flexibility in how these are translated into practice. The reforms aim to broaden the contributions and achievements that are valued in academic careers, including greater recognition of contributions to teams and wider institutional goals. A national Recognition & Rewards Festival on 12 November 2026 will mark six years of the programme, sharing progress and experience from across Dutch institutions and looking ahead to the next phase of reform.
NATIONAL REFORM
July 2026
Portugal
Portugal’s National Council for Pedogogical Innovation in Higher Education (CNIPES) is leading national efforts to strengthen how university teaching is valued in academic careers. This includes promoting the development of a national framework to support academic development and career progression in university teaching. The framework is being informed by exchange with universities and national bodies worldwide to learn from alternative approaches.
NATIONAL REFORM
June 2026
Austria
The Austrian Federal Ministry is exploring opportunities to strengthen the place of university teaching within academic careers. Following a national exchange in December 2025, leaders from across the higher education sector met again in June 2026 to discuss priorities for change and potential next steps. The discussions were informed by a national snapshot study commissioned by the Ministry, which explored the context for changing how university teaching is rewarded in Austria. The study is also available via the Austrian Federal Ministry's Studies and Reports webpage (7 July 2026).
INSTITUTIONAL REFORM
April 2026
TU/e, The Netherlands
TU/e has introduced a new approach to academic assessment that gives greater recognition to academics’ broader contributions to university teaching, research, impact and leadership. Recent changes include introducing new ways for academics to define and describe their distinct contributions, and piloting changes to the composition and operation of university appointment and promotion committees. A new report, Responsible Academic Assessment at TU/e, examines how these changes are working in practice and identifies opportunities to strengthen fair, transparent and consistent academic assessment.
RESOURCE
March 2026
Teaching Cultures Survey report 2019 – 2025
Combined findings from three waves of the survey
Drawing together findings from the 2019, 2022 and 2025 surveys, the report examines the views and experiences of academics at universities working to strengthen the reward of university teaching. The 2025 survey captured feedback from 12,071 academics from 17 universities across nine countries and four continents. The analysis explores how academics’ perceptions have shifted as reforms have been introduced and identifies key institutional factors associated with strong and improving university teaching cultures.
INSTITUTIONAL REFORM
March 2026
EPFL, Switzerland
EPFL has launched the s’EPanouir–FLourish initiative to drive educational change across the university. One of its five working groups focuses on strengthening the place of university teaching within academic careers as well as the wider institutional culture, including how university teaching is valued, supported and communicated across the institution. The initiative also includes a new Teaching Development Fund to support educational experimentation and new pedagogical approaches.
NEWS
October 2025
Advancing Teaching meeting 2025
The 2025 Advancing Teaching meeting took place in Copenhagen on 1st and 2nd October, hosted by Aalborg University. More than 50 university leaders and experts from 36 universities across 17 countries came together to share experiences and explore ways to strengthen the reward of university teaching.
Discussions focused on topics including advancing culture change within universities and rewarding collegiality in teaching and learning. The meeting also included a presentation of provisional findings from the 2025 Teaching Cultures Survey, which tracks the views and experiences of academics at universities working to improve how university teaching is rewarded.
INSTITUTIONAL REFORM
September 2025
Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Utrecht University has introduced a framework to structure and support career progression across the university, designed to offer greater scope for a broader range of talents and contributions to be valued and rewarded. The framework establishes shared principles for career development across the university, while giving faculties and departments flexibility in how these are translated into local policies and practices. After being rolled out across the university in 2023, the framework was reviewed and updated in 2025.
RESOURCE
February 2025
Editable graphics from the Career Framework
Following requests from members of the Advancing Teaching community, three key graphics from the Career Framework for University Teaching are now available to download as PDFs with editable text. Please feel free to use and adapt these graphics in any way that supports the development and reward of university teaching in your own institution or region, including in policy documents and other guidance and support materials.
When using the graphics, we would be grateful if you could include a link to the Advancing Teaching or Career Framework website, where readers can find further information about the framework.
RESOURCE
January 2025
Global Mapping study
Mapping global progress in rewarding university teaching
Drawing on interviews with over 130 university leaders and change-makers from 26 countries, the report offers a global picture of how universities are working to strengthen the reward of university teaching in academic careers. The analysis maps the global movement for change and identifies universities recognised as front-runners in the field. It also examines how these universities are addressing key barriers to change, offering insights into the approaches and strategies being adopted across different institutional and national contexts.
NEWS
October 2024
Advancing Teaching meeting 2024
The 2024 Advancing Teaching meeting took place at King’s College London on 24th and 25th October. It brought together 55 participants from 14 countries, representing 39 universities and four higher education organisations, to share experiences and explore ways to strengthen the reward of university teaching.
Discussions explored findings from the Global Mapping study, progress in advancing education-focused roles, and approaches to defining and evaluating university teaching. Participants also discussed challenges in changing reward systems and opportunities for national and global collaboration.