Tenure-track

About tenure-track

KTH offers a clear and long-term academic career path — tenure-track — for those who wish to develop as teachers and researchers in an international and innovative environment. The aim is to recruit talent and provide the conditions to build excellence in both research and education, while creating opportunities for a sustainable academic career.

The career path includes positions as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor . Each step provides increased opportunities to influence and lead the development of KTH’s research and education. As an Assistant Professor, you are eligible to apply for promotion to Associate Professor, and under certain conditions, an Associate Professor can be promoted to Professor.

Individual Career Planning and Support

During your time as an Assistant Professor, you receive support in your career development through individual career planning, training, and regular follow-ups. The plan includes concrete goals and activities that strengthen your qualifications in areas central to promotion:

• Scientific and pedagogical competence

• Ability to lead and develop staff

• Collaboration with the surrounding society

Career development also includes networking, support for scientific and pedagogical development, and leadership training.

The purpose is to give you the best possible conditions to meet the requirements for the next career step and to contribute to KTH’s continued success as one of Europe’s leading technical universities.

Academic Career Support

KTH’s academic career support is research-based and focuses on areas that are important for tenure track: scientific merits, pedagogical merits, and leadership & collaboration. It also includes training on gender equality and KTH’s core values, as well as career planning and mid-term evaluations for Assistant Professors.

These activities serve as support in the continued progression toward promotion to Associate Professor, Professor, and further career development at KTH.

Training Offered in Career Support

• Partners In Learning (PIL) program

• Pedagogical skills development

• Leadership for Associate Professors

Career planning and mid-term evaluation for Assistant Professors

As part of KTH’s academic career support, an individual career plan is prepared for each Assistant Professor. The plan covers the entire appointment period and is designed to support development toward promotion to Associate Professor based on KTH’s evaluation criteria and employment profile.

The mid-term evaluation takes place halfway through the appointment and provides an opportunity for reflection, feedback, and guidance in the qualification process. It is based on a self-assessment in which the Assistant Professor describes their development, goals, and needs for continued professional growth. The results are documented and serve as the basis for ongoing career planning.

Partners In Learning (PIL) Program

The invitation for the next start in Fall 2026 has been sent. The PIL program is aimed at Assistant Professors. The term “PIL” symbolizes forward-looking and beneficial development. KTH has offered Assistant Professors the opportunity to participate in the PIL program since 2012

Purpose and Goals

PIL provides positive support for staff in the first stage of the tenure track and serves as preparation for promotion to Associate Professor. Partners in Learning aims to create an exchange between Assistant Professors and more senior staff at KTH. The focus is on academic leadership and individual development within academia. The programme is designed so that the PIL participants partly shape the content themselves based on identified learning needs.

PIL consists of meetings with an experienced partner who holds a tenure-track position, as well as nine learning sessions, including a kick-off, a residential retreat, six thematic meetings, and a concluding session.

Program Contact

Program leader for PIL: Johanna Carlblick – personalutveckling@kth.se

Pedagogical Skills Development

To improve teaching quality, KTH offers higher education pedagogy training as part of career support. This training allows you to develop your knowledge about teaching and learning, in a way that can be directly applied in practice.

For promotion, one of the eligibility requirements is completion of 15 ECTS credits (10 weeks) of higher education pedagogy training. More information: Higher education pedagogy courses

Questions:  hp-kurser@kth.se

Leadership for Associate Professors – Tools for Constructive Communication and Feedback

As part of the tenure track career support, a leadership training course is offered to Associate Professors. It is aimed at all Associate Professors at the start of their academic leadership careers.

Purpose and Goals

The training provides basic knowledge of leadership theories, skills to reflect on and understand the consequences of your own leadership, and abilities in adaptive communication and leadership, with the goal of increasing confidence in upcoming leadership roles.

The program combines theory with practical exercises, discussions, and reflections, giving participants the opportunity to share experiences and reflect on leadership roles and personal preferences. Practical tools for communication and feedback are presented and applied. The training is bilingual.

Leadership for Associate Professors supports development and success through experience exchange and networking across KTH.

Program Contact

For more information, please contact Johanna Carlblick at +46 8 790 7715 or email personalutveckling@kth.se

Leadership Training

Tenure Track in Brief

Academic positions at KTH follow the internationally established tenure track model.

The career path begins with an appointment as Assistant Professor, which requires a doctoral degree and postdoctoral experience. After a maximum of six years, an Assistant Professor is eligible to be evaluated for promotion to Associate Professor, and if the evaluation is successful, the position becomes permanent. After a further period as Associate Professor, one may apply for promotion to Professor if there is an organisational need.