Abstract
Academic development is an activity embedded in a continuous stream of changes. While academic development in the past was a rather peripheral activity in a small number of countries and institutions, the field is rapidly expanding and fast becoming a global activity. The current article describes how this change has taken place, and identifies key drivers behind the transformation. It is discussed how the transformation of the field has led to normative, practice-related and organizational challenges facing academic developers in increasingly complex and professional higher education institutions. The article concludes that while academic development is more in demand than ever before, the increasing popularity may also push the boundaries for established understandings of what academic development is, and what it should be in the future.