Call for participation: EUA Leadership Development Programme 2027

The EUA Leadership Development Programme is a pan-European flagship initiative developed by the university sector for the university sector. It supports senior university leaders in navigating the profound transformations shaping European higher education, from sustainability and digitalisation to governance, funding pressures and societal expectations.

Designed as an immersive and reflective leadership journey, each year, the programme brings together a diverse cohort of senior academic and professional support leaders from across Europe. Participants engage in peer learning, leadership exchanges and a leadership simulation that mirrors the real strategic and governance challenges faced by universities today.

The programme combines in-person modules and online sessions, offering a safe space to explore values-based leadership, shared leadership, decision-making under pressure and institutional transformation in a European context. Participants also become part of a lasting European leadership community beyond the programme itself.

Consult the full call document

The programme’s first in-person session will be organised in April 2027 with a session connected to the EUA Annual Conference at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, followed by a 5-day core block in Brussels in June. A final in-person module will take place in September 2027, focusing on leading transversal transformations such as European Universities alliances, sustainability, digital transformation and equity, diversity and inclusion strategies. Additional online sessions will complement the programme.

Submit your application

If you would like to learn more about the Leadership Development Programme or ask any questions about the application process, you can also join an online info session online on 1 June 2026, 14.00 – 14.45 (CEST). 

Enquiries about participation in the programme can also be sent to eualead@eua.eu.