First, we need to define what academic excellence means — and professors, staff, supervisors, students and society may each define it differently. How to measure it depends on what we want to achieve and over what period its impact can be noticed. Excellence is usually measured by rankings, peer review and publications in the best journals of a field. But perhaps it should also include great collaborators, strong projects and grants that bring additional impact. Reaching excellence is a long process, so indicators should monitor it from the start: the beginning, the ongoing work and the final impact, not only the end result.