Tenure track career path

General principles

The objective of Aalto tenure track career system is to support professors’ academic freedom and to reach world class in research and/or artistic and professional work, teaching and societal impact. To support these objectives, we have established clear principles for our tenure track system:

1. Clear and transparent rules and processes – Clear and transparent criteria and processes for all appointments.
2. Compensation of success – Adequate salary and compensation to motivate people to work towards Aalto’s vision and objectives.
3. Equal opportunity to succeed – Motivation and cooperation increase as people in tenure track compete only with themselves, not against one another.

The Aalto University Code of Conduct is one way of putting our values and way of working - the foundation of our community culture - into practice. All professors are expected to commit to the Aalto Code of Conduct.

Career path

Tenure track consists of three levels: assistant professor (1st term and 2nd term), associate professor and full professor. During the track, in the position of assistant professor, an individual has the opportunity to conduct research and/or artistic work and teach, and thus gain academic merits in order to qualify for a tenured professor position. At Aalto University, both the tenured associate professor and full professor are permanent professors as defined in the Universities Act (558/2009).

In addition, exceptionally merited professors can be invited to the honorary position of Aalto distinguished professor.

Candidates can be recruited for any of these levels in accordance with each job announcement. The recruitment follows the principles of open, global competitive recruiting as well as Aalto’s code of conduct, diversity and inclusiveness principles.

It is possible to advance on the tenure track career path, if one manages to gain enough academic merits. This means that our professors are only competing with themselves, not with their colleagues.

Performance is evaluated through three dimensions: research and/or artistic and practice-based work, teaching and impact and service. The evaluation criteria are based on internationally comparable principles and they are openly known in advance. More details about the criteria are available on the Evaluation criteria -page.

Professor’s work profile

The professor’s work includes research or artistic and practice-based work, teaching, societal contribution and activity in the scientific or artistic community. The work profile of each tenure track professor is agreed on with his/her immediate supervisor in the annual objective discussions.

General Regulations

The key principles and processes of Aalto Tenure Track are described in more detail in Aalto Tenure Track Policies and Procedures -document below.

• Aalto Tenure Track Policies and Procedures (revised version, valid from 1.3.2023)