Kurt Deketelaere was born in Torhout on 29 July 1966. In July 1989, he graduated with a law degree from KU Leuven, before going on to achieve a PhD in law from the same university in 1995. Today, as a part-time professor, he still teaches environmental, energy and construction law at KU Leuven.

Kurt Deketelaere is secretary-general of LERU, the League of European Research Universities – an alliance between some 20 leading ‘research-intensive’ European universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, Leiden, Heidelberg and KU Leuven. Since 2017, he has been President of Sustainability College Bruges, a private educational institution centred around issues related to environmental, energy and climate change.

Between 2004-2007, he was a legal advisor in the cabinet of former Flemish minister Kris Peeters, before becoming Chief of Staff to Hilde Crevits, former Flemish minister of Public Works, Energy, Environment and Nature from 2007-2009. Kurt also holds executive positions at MRBB, Agri Investment Fund and I-Cleantech. He also works as a visiting professor and member on the advisory boards of several overseas universities.