Higher Education Leadership in Europe: A Blended Intensive Programme for Institutional Transformation

Three leading Universities of Applied Sciences – Laurea (Finland), TH Köln (Germany), and Avans (the Netherlands) – are set to host a groundbreaking professional development programme, Higher Education Leadership in Europe – Empowering Individuals and Teams to Drive Institutional and Societal Transformation. This onsite event, taking place in Espoo, Finland, in early June will bring together some 50 university leaders and experts from across Europe to explore innovative approaches to leadership in higher education.

This Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) is designed to foster collaboration among academic and non-academic professionals with diverse backgrounds, offering a dynamic forum to address leadership from multiple perspectives: individual, organizational, and societal.

The key objectives to be addressed at the event are:

1. Exploring Leadership in Action – Leadership will be approached as an evolving process that emerges through action, interaction, and performance, rather than as a fixed capacity or state.
2. Sharing Best Practices – Participants will engage in discussions on leadership concepts and methodologies, exchange experiences, and showcase successful strategies.
3. Strengthening Networks – The event will serve as a catalyst for new collaborations, laying the groundwork for future partnerships in leadership development and institutional transformation.
4. Driving Change – Universities must continuously evolve, and this programme will highlight leadership’s crucial role in institutional autonomy, strategic transformation, and adaptability.

Institutional transformation is more than just incremental change – it is a deep and fundamental shift in how universities operate, innovate, and engage with societal challenges. Strong leadership is essential to navigate complex transitions, integrate new business models and technologies, and enhance universities’ ability to respond to shifting market demands. Therefore, leadership

• requires a blend of skills, adaptability, and the ability to manage evolving challenges.
• exists at three distinct levels: self-leadership, team leadership, and strategic leadership—each crucial to an institution’s success.
• fosters a shared vision, aligns individuals towards collective goals, and enables institutions to thrive in disruptive times.

With an ever-changing higher education landscape, universities need robust leadership development programmes to equip leaders and individual experts in academic and non-academic roles with the tools to drive meaningful transformation. This initiative underlines the importance of upscaling leadership support and fostering institutional agility.

By bringing together experts, decision-makers, and thought leaders, this programme promises to be a pivotal moment in shaping the future of higher education leadership in Europe. This BIP is a spin-off of the European University Alliance PIONEER's thematic development work on transformative leadership in 2025-2028. The organisers Laurea, TH Köln and Avans are members of the PIONEER Alliance together with seven other universities in Europe.  

Read more about the programme of the event

More information: