Building leadership for Europe’s universities of science and technology

Some of the most important leadership lessons do not come from a handbook. They come from being challenged, from listening to peers, and from stepping outside the immediate pressures of your own institution to reflect on what leadership really demands.

That has certainly been true in my own case. Just last year, I had the opportunity to follow a leadership development programme at the University of Strathclyde. It was a formative experience. It gave me space to think differently about leadership, not simply as a matter of management or decision-making, but as a practice of judgement, responsibility and perspective. It helped me understand that leadership in universities is never only about internal processes. It is also about people, culture, values, external partnerships and the wider environment in which our institutions operate. Most importantly, it helped me understand that everyone can be a leader and that it is my role to help others recognise this and become leaders for themselves in whatever role, task or responsibility they have.

The experience I gained on the course changed the way I think and operate on a daily basis. It is one of the reasons why I am particularly pleased that, with the support of the CESAER Board, we are now finalising the launch of a new pan-European leadership programme open to staff of CESAER Member universities from 17 to 21 August 2026.

For me, this is not just another training offer. It is a strategic investment in the people who will help shape the future of Europe’s universities of science and technology.

Leadership in our sector has become more demanding than ever. Universities are navigating profound change at multiple levels all at once. They are expected to drive excellence in research and education, strengthen innovation ecosystems, support societal resilience, contribute to sustainability, attract and develop talent, and engage effectively with government, industry and civil society. At the same time, the context around us is becoming more complex and more geopolitical.

Today’s university leaders must be able to respond to questions that would barely have appeared on the radar a decade ago. How do we protect openness in science while addressing legitimate concerns around research security? How do we position our institutions in debates on critical technologies, defence-related research, dual-use issues, talent shortages, and Europe’s long-term competitiveness? How do we lead with confidence when the expectations placed on universities continue to expand?

These are not abstract questions. They are already shaping institutional strategies, public policy and day-to-day leadership choices across Europe.

That is precisely why CESAER has a distinctive role to play.

The association brings together universities of science and technology from across Europe that share a strong commitment to excellence, impact and responsibility. We work at the intersection of higher education, research, innovation and public policy. We understand both the internal realities of our institutions and the external pressures that increasingly shape them. Crucially, we are not viewing leadership only through a national lens, or only through an institutional lens. Instead, we see it through the all-important European lens, where CESAER must contribute.

That is one of the clearest added values of this programme.

A CESAER leadership programme can offer something that few others can: a combination of trans European peer exchange, strategic reflection and direct exposure to the European policy environment. Participants will learn not only from one another as leaders in universities of science and technology; they will also engage with the wider forces transforming our sector. That includes EU affairs, developments in research and innovation policy, questions around competitiveness and autonomy, and emerging debates on research security, defence-related developments and dual-use technologies. Building on CESAER’s Strategy 2030, the leadership programme will leverage that CESAER is the only European advocacy association uniting over fifty universities of science and technology across the continent, giving it a unique scale, focus and reach.

In other words, this programme is designed to help leaders understand not only how to lead their institutions, but, strategically, how to lead them in Europe, and for Europe.

The network dimension matters just as much.

One of the greatest strengths of CESAER is the community it creates. Our Members face many of the same strategic challenges, even if they operate in different national systems. Bringing leaders together across institutions and across countries creates an opportunity that is both practical and powerful: to compare approaches honestly, to learn from experience, to test ideas, and to build trusted relationships that last beyond a single programme.

In times of uncertainty, that kind of network is not a luxury. It is part of what enables effective leadership.

I also believe that universities of science and technology have a particular responsibility in this regard. Our institutions sit close to many of the most dynamic and sensitive areas of change, from artificial intelligence and quantum to clean technologies, advanced manufacturing, health innovation and infrastructure resilience and cyber security. We work closely with industry, public authorities and innovators. We educate graduates who will lead change in every sector. The leadership challenges we face are therefore often especially complex, and especially connected to Europe’s future direction.

We should be preparing leaders for that reality.

This is why I see the new CESAER leadership programme not simply as a professional development initiative, but as a contribution to institutional and European capacity. It is about equipping current and future leaders with the confidence, judgement and connections they need to navigate complexity effectively while achieving their own potential and helping others realise theirs too. It is about creating space for reflection at a time when many leaders are under constant pressure to act. And it is about strengthening a shared leadership culture across our community of universities of science and technology.

It is also about making the most of what CESAER uniquely offers. Through our association, participants will benefit from a trusted European network, insight into the policy and strategic debates shaping our sector, and the opportunity to reflect together on the changing role of leadership in universities of science and technology. That combination of community, perspective and relevance is what makes this initiative particularly valuable.

In the months ahead, we will share more information on the format and launch of the programme. For now, I encourage our Members to see this for what it is: an opportunity to invest in people, in leadership and in the collective strength of our network to benefit us all.

I know from personal experience that the right leadership programme can leave a lasting mark. My hope is that this one will do exactly that for a new generation of leaders across CESAER.

And I am convinced that there is no better place than CESAER to make it happen.