A lawyer by training (bachelor (1986), master (1989), PhD (1995) at KU Leuven, Flanders, Belgium), Kurt Deketelaere (° 29 July 1966, Torhout, Flanders, Belgium) is working in various capacities in the field of EU research, innovation, education, energy, environment, climate change and sustainability policy and law. Since July 2009, Kurt is the Secretary-General of the League of European Research Universities (LERU, www.leru.org), promoting the interests of frontier research, innovation and education, with national, European and international authorities and institutions.

At the same time he is a (part-time) full professor (since 2004) of environmental, energy, climate and construction law at KU Leuven and a visiting professor of law at the University of Helsinki (since 2021).

As a director, Kurt is presently on the board of MRBB, AIF, Arvesta and M-Tech. He also acts as an advisor to Eneco Belgium, Crowdhelix, Humanitas University (Milano), CLICKS (Dubai) and Charles University (Prague). Furthermore, Kurt runs his own consultancy firm, BV KDK, and chairs Sustainability College Bruges. For his leadership in EU research, innovation and education policy, Kurt was awarded a doctorate honoris causa by the Georgian National University on 22 July 2024 and by the University of Edinburgh on 6 July 2017, the (first) Scaliger Medal" by Leiden University on 19 September 2017 and the "Gold Medal by Charles University Prague on 24 September 2021. He received, for LERU, the University Medal of the University of Geneva on 11 October 2019. Furthermore, for his academic work, he was awarded on 21 August 2012 the Hou-De Honorary Chair at the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, and has been a visiting and/or honorary professor of law at the Universities of London, Sydney, Macquarie, Singapore, Malta, Dundee, Keio and Chuo.

Earlier in his career, Kurt was the chief legal advisor (2004-2007) and the chief of staff (2007-2009) of the Flemish Minister for Public Works, Energy, Environment and Nature, respectively Mr Kris Peeters (presently Vice-President European Investment Bank) and Mrs Hilde Crevits (presently Deputy Minister-President Flemish Government). He was awarded the title of honorary chief of staff of the Flemish Government on 30 June 2009. Kurt chaired the Flemish Energy Regulator (VREG) from 2012 to 2017, and was a member of the board of Guberna (2022-2024), VITO (2019-2022) and I-Cleantech Flanders (2012-2018). In the early nineties, he led the environmental law practice of a leading consultancy and law firm in Brussels.