The ENLIGHT Academic Leadership Programme – Enhancing strategic leadership and building international networks to manage complex challenges
Please note: This programme is currently under development by a joint working group consisting of representatives from all ten ENLIGHT institutions. It is subject to updates during Spring 2025.
PROGRAMME CONCEPT
In an increasingly uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, university leaders are not only expected to demonstrate diplomacy, agility and authority in their role as leaders of people in large, century-old institutions. They are also expected to handle growing competition as well as huge technological, financial, social and political changes.
This programme focuses on university leadership, change management and the development of academic talent and high-quality performance in a rapidly changing world. In addition, it investigates the need for transparency and accountability in today’s European universities, in particular in the ten universities that make up the ENLIGHT network. Through this programme, participants benefit from a peer-learning environment combining academic expertise, international and ENLIGHT perspectives on leading higher education institutions, and diverse approaches to leadership
PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE
Participant profile
- University top leaders such as deans, directors or managers of large university operations
- Three participants per ENLIGHT university
- Academic and/or administrative roles
Language
- English
Dates and locations
- 16-18 September 2025: Uppsala, Sweden
- 2-4 December 2025: Bratislava, Slovakia
- 4-6 March 2026: Galway, Ireland
- 27-29 May 2026: Ghent, Belgium
Selection period
- Participant selection is managed locally at each ENLIGHT institutions, in line with each partner’s chosen internal procedures.
- The selection of participants concludes on February 28, 2025.
NETWORKING AND IMPACT
During the programme, participants will contribute to increased cooperation between the ENLIGHT universities, with a focus on strategic leadership. They will form international leadership networks within ENLIGHT, and develop and share knowledge and experience of international trends, problems and solutions in an open and safe environment. After completing the programme, participants receive a certificate.
PARTICIPANT PROFILES
This programme welcomes up to 30 highly committed participants employed in top leadership positions at the ten ENLIGHT universities. The programme is restricted to three participants per institution in order to offer a ‘high profile’ programme for a selected group. Participation is by invitation only and cannot be transferred. Participants are expected to attend all programme items.
DATES AND SESSION THEMES
The programme spans one academic year and includes four meetings, each lasting two and a half days, held at one of the hosting institutions.
Session 1: Strategic Challenges and Academic Culture
16-18 Sep 2025, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
This session explores different challenges shared by universities in Europe, as well as cultural perspectives and their impact on strategic leadership in academia.
Session 2: European Universities Alliances
2-4 Dec 2025: Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
Carried out in synergy with the ENLIGHT General Meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, this session explores the impact of the European University Alliances on higher education in Europe, and increases the participants’ familiarity with the ENLIGHT context.
Session 3: Managing Change
4-6 Mar 2026: University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
This session explores how change affects people in different ways, and how leaders can be mindful of their responses and determine effective ways to lead their team through change.
Session 4: Identity in Higher Education
27-29 May 2026: Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
This session explores the roles and responsibilities of universities in this era, and how higher education institutions profile themselves to the external world.
MENTORSHIP
The Leadership programme includes a mentorship component aimed at supporting collegial learning and intellectual exchange on concrete challenges that leaders face in academia.
Each participant teams up with a chosen reflection partner within their own university, with whom they share insights between sessions. This offers an added dimension of learning and growing as a leader, as well as increased institutional embedding. Participants carry out a reflection meeting their chosen partner between each leadership session (3-4 meetings in total). In preparation for the mentorship component of the programme, participants receive an orientation on the facilitation of peer-to-peer learning at the programme’s first session in Uppsala, Sweden.
CONTACT PERSONS
To facilitate information on programme content and application procedures for participant, each institution has designated an internal contact person for the ENLIGHT Academic Leadership Programme.
Comenius University
Silvester Krčméry, Head of HRS4R office
E-mail:
Ghent University
Beatrijs Baelde, HR policy advisory
E-mail:
University of the Basque Country
Javier Portillo, Director of Planning
E-mail:
University of Bern
Jill Bühler, Head CAS Academic Leadership and Research Management
E-mail:
Andreas Michel, Head of HR Development and Recruiting
E-mail:
University of Bordeaux
Magali Steinmann, Managing Director, Talents & HR Development
E-mail:
University of Galway
Mark McGuinness, Learning and Development Manager
E-mail:
University of Groningen
Anita Veltmaat, Policy Advisor International Strategy
E-mail:
University of Göttingen
Vera Bissinger, Central Coordination Mentoring
E-mail:
University of Tartu
Raivo Valk, Senior Specialist for Professional Development
E-mail:
Uppsala University
E-amil: Anna Westin, Skills development officer