International Week

Are you excited to learn more about leadership in higher education in Europe? Do you want to develop your professional understanding of the subject? Are you interested in inspiring and motivating your colleagues and team members, stimulating their thinking and broadening their horizons for the greater good? Do you see potential for institutional change through leadership development at your own university?

If your answer is 'yes' to one or more of the above questions, then the Higher Education Leadership in Europe professional development programme is for you.

The programme is based on the idea that leadership - both as a field of study and as a practical skill - encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organisation to lead, influence or guide other individuals, teams or whole organisations, and in so doing influence societal developments.

Good leadership cares for staff members, enhances their social safety and well-being, and promotes diversity, equity, equality, inclusion and belonging.

When? 

The three collaborating Universities of Applied Sciences – Laurea (Finland), TH Köln (Germany) and Avans (the Netherlands) – organise this 5-day programme at the Laurea Campus in Leppävaara, City of Espoo, in the Helsinki Metropolitan region on 2-6 June 2025.

Prior to this 5-day event in Finland, there will be an online session for all accepted participants. The online session is an integral part of the training course and will be hosted by TH Köln on Tuesday 6 May 2025 at 10am-1pm CET (Central European Time; 9-12am in Portugal, 11am-2pm in Finland).

For whom?

This professional development programme is for PIONEER Alliance members only. It will bring together university staff members – both academic and non-academic experts – from across the PIONEER Alliance that consists of ten European universities focusing on the sustainable development of future cities. The programme will provide a forum to discuss concepts and methods, share personal and professional experiences, showcase best practices and learn from the other participating experts.  

Please note that participants will be selected in the order in which they register for the event, while ensuring that each PIONEER partner university is able to participate. Only 30 representatives of PIONEER partner universities can be offered the opportunity to participate. Please don't proceed with any flight or hotel booking before getting your official confirmation. 

Still interested? At PIONEER universities in EU countries, please contact the International Office or International Services at your university to explore the possibility of receiving an Erasmus+ staff mobility grant to participate in the Professional Development Programme in June 2025. To be able to participate, you need to have your manager's permission and confirmation of your Erasmus+ grant. Please note that this international week is a Erasmus staff week, not a Erasmus teaching week at Laurea. 

Swiss PIONEER BFH representatives can participate in the programme through their own national funding. As a BFH staff member, before registering for the programme, make sure you have your manager’s permission to participate and the means from BFH for your travel, accommodation and subsistence costs.

The online registration will be open until 31 January 2025. The registration form can be accessed through this "Sign Up" link. 

Confirmation of participation will be sent to those accepted in late February or early March.

Laurea staff will be notified separately on how and when they can register for the development programme.

The PIONEER professional development programme consists of two parts:

• ONLINE session on Tuesday 6 May 2025 (at 10am-1pm CET, meeting on Zoom, event link and agenda available in April)
• ONSITE event on Monday-Friday 2-6 June 2025 (full days apart from Friday 6 June, see draft agenda below)

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE - ONSITE EVENT AT LAUREA UAS CAMPUS IN ESPOO (FINLAND)

DAY 0 – The weekend of 31 May – 1 June 2025

Participants arrive in Finland either on Saturday 31 May or Sunday 1 June 2025 – no organised programme

DAY 1 – Monday 2 June 2025

Thematic focus of the day is on leadership in higher education today.

Morning 9-12am

• Welcome & aim of the event "Why a new focus on leadership in HEIs today"
• Event organisers introduce themselves (Laurea, TH Köln, Avans)
• Icebreaking exercise/s
• Leadership seen from different perspectives

Afternoon 1-4pm

• Insights from the online event (held on 7 May 2025) feeding into the onsite event
• Linking leadership in higher education into the UN Agenda2030, eventually including PIONEER Alliance’s work package 3 on transformative leadership

DAY 2 – Tuesday 3 June 2025

Thematic focus of the day is on grasping the three levels of leadership.

Morning 9-12am

• Keynote speech on leadership in transition by an external expert (tbc)
• Discussion in groups based on the keynote speech

Afternoon 1-4pm

• Introducing and working on the levels of leadership: individual, community, and society

DAY 3 – Wednesday 4 June 2025 

Thematic focus of the day is on the individual level of leadership.

Morning 9-12am

• Leadership at individual level: self-directedness, agility, agency, independence

Afternoon 1-4pm

• Leadership at individual level (to be continued)

DAY 4 – Thursday 5 June 2025

Thematic focus of the day is on the team/group/community-related aspects of leadership in institutions.

Morning 9-12am

• Leadership at team/group/community level: interaction, communication and coordination

After lunch transfer to the company to be visited

Afternoon 2-4pm

• Company visit in Helsinki: leadership at organisational level

After the company visit free time in Helsinki

Dinner at 6/7pm – restaurant to be confirmed

DAY 5 – Friday 6 June 2025

Thematic focus of the day is on societal leadership that strives for the sustainable prosperity of all.

Morning 9-12am

• Focus on the societal level
• Summary, takeaways back home, closing ceremony with certificates.

After lunch

• Official programme ends, participants departing back home or staying in Finland on their own.