CESAER Leadership Programme 2026

About the Programme

• This pilot programme is designed to strengthen leadership capacity across CESAER Member universities. It targets colleagues who have recently taken on — or are about to take on — a significant leadership role with institution-wide or faculty-/department-level responsibilities.
  
  
• The programme combines practical leadership skills development with peer learning, mentoring and structured networking across Europe. It is developed with a professional training provider based in Glasgow specialising in leadership development and organisational change, and hosted at the University of Strathclyde's Technology & Innovation Centre.
  
  
• The CESAER dimension is woven throughout the entire week — not an add-on — integrating a European science, technology and innovation perspective across all sessions.

For those interested in learning more about the rationale, inspiration and ambition behind the programme, read the opinion piece “Building leadership for Europe’s universities of science and technology” by Paul Murray, Co-Chair of Task Force Talent, Careers and Staff Development, Professor at the University of Strathclyde, and lead organiser of the programme.

Why join this programme?

• European & intercultural cohort: Participants drawn from across the CESAER membership, enabling rich exchange across national, institutional and cultural contexts.

• Science & technology lens: Leadership development grounded in the realities of institutions at the forefront of research, innovation and industrial collaboration.

• Trusted peer exchange: An open, cross-institutional setting to discuss leadership challenges with peers outside your own institutional environment.
  
  
• European policy context: A dedicated CESAER-led session on research and innovation policy, competitiveness and the European strategic landscape.
  
  
• Inspiring leadership voices: Senior leaders from CESAER Member institutions and the Strathclyde ecosystem sharing candid insights from their leadership journeys.
  
  
• Lasting network: A capstone group project that continues beyond the week, creating durable ties across the cohort around shared leadership interests.

Who should attend?

The programme is intended for emerging institutional leaders in CESAER Member universities who have recently taken on, or are about to take on, a substantial leadership role — and who are at a stage where they can actively apply the learning.

• Heads of Department or School
• Associate Deans, Vice-Deans or Deputy Deans
• Directors of education, research, innovation or doctoral training
• Heads of major cross-cutting institutional portfolios
• Senior professional services leaders with significant leadership scope
• Any equivalent functions

Register your interest

[DEADLINE EXTENDED] Submit your expression of interest by Tuesday 2 June 

• Apply here

Following the deadline, applications will enter a selection process. 

Applicants will be informed of the outcome by 15 June. Selected participants will then receive confirmation of their participation, along with information regarding the registration fee contribution, accommodation recommendations and so on.

Indicative programme

The programme will run from Monday 17 August at 12:00 to Friday 21 August at 14:00, following a lunch-to-lunch format to support travel arrangements.

Throughout the week, participants will combine interactive leadership development modules with peer reflection, structured networking, inspiring leadership contributions and CESAER-led sessions on the European science, technology and innovation landscape.

Participants will be allocated to small home groups to support reflection, peer learning and cross-institutional exchange. The programme will also include inspiring contributions from senior leaders from CESAER Member institutions and the Strathclyde ecosystem, offering candid insights into leadership in complex university environments.

A welcome dinner on Monday evening will provide an informal opportunity for participants to get to know one another, connect with the organisers and begin building the European peer network that will underpin the rest of the week.

Monday 17 August – Welcome, leadership foundations and cohort-building
Participants will arrive around lunchtime. The opening afternoon will introduce the cohort, the aims of the programme and the leadership framework underpinning the week. Sessions will focus on self-leadership, the difference between leadership and management, leadership in universities of science and technology, and initial reflection on participants’ own leadership strengths and development areas. The day will conclude with a welcome dinner.

Tuesday 18 August – Leading strategy and change
The second day will focus on purpose, strategy and change. Participants will explore how to build and communicate a shared direction, engage teams in strategy development, and lead change in complex institutional environments. The capstone projects will also be introduced, allowing participants to begin identifying shared leadership interests.

Wednesday 19 August – Leading people and inclusive teams
The third day will focus on people leadership, including motivation, coaching, feedback, listening, communication and wellbeing. Participants will reflect on how to support high-performing, inclusive and resilient teams in universities of science and technology.

Thursday 20 August – Leading in Europe’s strategic landscape
The fourth day will focus on performance, resilience, influence and leading effectively under pressure. A dedicated CESAER-led session will explore the European policy and strategic context for universities of science and technology, including research and innovation policy, competitiveness, responsible international collaboration, research security, dual use and export control.

Friday 21 August – Teams, capstone projects and next steps
The final morning will focus on team dynamics, psychological safety, difficult conversations and sustaining learning beyond the programme. Participants will reconnect with their capstone project groups to agree how they will continue working together after the week. The programme will close at lunchtime.

The detailed programme will be confirmed closer to the start date.

Practical information

Dates & location 

Applications: until 25 May 

Outcome of applications: 15 June 

Leadership programme: from Monday 17 August at 12:00 to Friday 21 August at 12:00 (the programme is taking place from lunch to lunch to allow for travels)

Capstone projects presentations: December

Location: Sir Jim McDonald Technology & Innovation Centre (TIC) [google maps location] in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom 

Fee 

1 week fee approx. £1,000

What the fee covers:
✓ Professional training facilitation & materials
✓ Catering during the programme
✓ Room & facility costs at TIC
✓ Welcome dinner on Monday evening

The fee does not cover:
✕ Travel to and from Glasgow
✕ Hotel accommodation
✕ Evening dinners on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

Participants will receive a list of suggested hotels. This will help participants stay in similar locations and facilitate informal networking and cohort-building outside the programme.

Contact

For more information, please contact Louise Drogoul our Senior Advisor for Innovation & Sustainability.