The form of the kernel that controls the dynamics of the Bethe-Salpeter equations is essential for obtaining quantitatively accurate predictions for the observable properties of hadrons. In the present work we briefly review the basic physical concepts and field-theoretic techniques employed in a first-principle derivation of a universal (process-independent) component of this kernel. This "top-down" approach combines nonperturbative ingredients obtained from lattice simulations and Dyson-Schwinger equations, and furnishes a renormalization-group invariant quark-gluon interaction strength, which is in excellent agreement with the corresponding quantity obtained from a systematic "bottom-up" treatment, where bound-state data are fitted within a well-defined truncation scheme.

6 pages, 4 figures, contribution to the proceedings of the LigthCone 2015 Conference, Sep 21-25, INFN Frascati National Laboratories, Frascati, Italy