Heads of University Management & Administration Network in Europe

Preparing for Strategic Professional Leadership

For aspiring senior leaders of professional services

Hosted by the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome (KNIR) (IT)

May 17-21, 2026

The HUMANE “Preparing for Strategic Professional Leadership” programme is designed to cultivate the leadership skills of experienced professional service senior leaders (e.g. directors of HR, finances, estates, IT, etc.) who aspire to move into more senior positions, become senior leaders of other professional service leaders in their institution, or broaden their impact.    

With over 180 member universities across 28 countries, HUMANE is uniquely positioned to offer a comprehensive pan-European and international strategic professional leadership programme for senior professional service leaders, drawing on diverse approaches from a wide range of universities and higher education systems in Europe and beyond. Participants will gain from exposure to international insights and different ways of thinking, engage in discussions around common challenges with senior university leaders from across Europe, share best practices and innovative strategies.

The programme will foster creative, out-of-the-box thinking by immersing participants in a dynamic learning environment that will stretch their thinking beyond their everyday workplace and national contexts and enhance their ability to connect and respond to complex issues found in more senior roles.   By learning from their European and international peers, they will develop broader perspectives and enhance their leadership capabilities. 

The programme will help participants to:

  • Understand the key global trends that impact higher education: shifts in global economic powers; global research and knowledge security; climate change; changing student demographics; the rise of technology, industry 5.0 and Artificial Intelligence; the future workforce (including the health and wellbeing evolution)
  • Gain insights into strategic professional service leadership, understanding what it takes to become a well-rounded and impactful senior leader of multiple professional services capable of addressing challenges in dynamic environments and driving transformative change in their universities
  • Explore the breadth and depth of senior professional service leadership roles, while reflecting on personal leadership effectiveness, developing advanced leadership skills and the ability to lead specialist teams
  • Expand their international professional networks in the higher education sector

Programme themes

Agile leadership and management are essential to drive strategic advancements in higher education. Amid tight budgets and declining public funding, universities must provide high-quality professional services to deliver on their mission and strategy. They must address the needs of multiple stakeholders, internally (academic staff, support service staff, students) and externally (policymakers, private sector businesses and society); efficient and contemporary services are essential to support impactful education and research.  

Aspiring senior leaders of multiple professional services must understand their position in the leadership pipeline within their institution, recognise the new challenges they will face as they move into more senior strategic roles, and identify the additional leadership skills required. They must understand the key global trends that impact higher education as well as the implications for professional service delivery: to leverage the potential of digital technology and Artificial Intelligence (for service enhancement), to explore new financial models (navigating strategic finances and financial sustainability), to design new approaches to attract, develop, and retain a highly skilled, diverse, and forward-thinking multigenerational workforce. Achieving these goals demands impactful leadership, exceptional management skills and a growth mindset to succeed in complex and evolving contexts.

The programme will focus on major developments, global and local forces that impact higher education and their implication for professional services; the need for change and advanced leadership to drive new business/financial models for institutional sustainability:

  • Shifts in global economic powers andimplications for higher education(attractiveness, international students, financial sustainability)
  • Global research and knowledge security; the ethical impact of research   
  • Climate change and sustainability and what it means for higher education
  • The need to engage in lifelong learning and build institutional capability in a highly competitive HE sector with growing private and alternative providers   
  • The rise of technology, Artificial Intelligence, industry 5.0 and hyperconnectivity and the impact on the delivery of education, research; new organisational models for professional service delivery, opportunities and risks including GDPR, compliance, cybersecurity
  • The future workforce and the impact of Artificial Intelligence on professional services:  building on a multigenerational workforce with different expectations and different upskilling needs in the digital age; the health and wellbeing evolution (staff physical and mental wellbeing; diversity and inclusion)

Participants will gain insights into self-leadership and learn about sharing leadership, leading other leaders of specialist teams and leveraging connections across diverse professional skillsets in and beyond the institution to drive institutional performance.  They will learn to guide with confidence and adaptability, lead with resilience through change and complexity to navigate ongoing challenges.  They will acquire advanced skills to make strategic decisions and informed choices in high-pressure situations. Strategic planning and strategic finances in a more volatile world will also feature in the programme.    

Programme structure 

The programme will be delivered in three parts with assignments given to participants in between the three components: the introductory webinar (April 2026), the five-day intensive face-to-face programme in Rome (17-21 May 2026) and the follow-up webinar (October 2026) during which participants will present their work.

Participants will be invited to define their individual learning goals and leadership challenges in their universities.  They will work on their individual development plans and on cases and themes related to global trends, alone or with peers, taking these plans back to their institutions. 

The programme in Rome will include thematic presentations on global trends and on strategic professional service leadership in universities, as well as practical workshops, one-to-one guidance, and individual and peer work to foster peer-to-peer exchange and sharing of multi-professional expertise to deal with challenges.  All will be delivered by high level experts and senior practitioners.

Who will benefit?

The programme will benefit aspiring senior leaders of professional services’ leaders, i.e. senior leaders at director level (directors of HR, finances, estates, IT, etc.) looking to move into more senior positions, progress further or broaden their impact.   

It is a unique learning opportunity for those looking to develop their strategic leadership capabilities and understand contemporary trends in the global higher education sector. 

Application

Applicants are required to articulate their personal motivations for participation in the programme in a one-page motivation letter, as well as their personal leadership challenges they would like to work on during the programme.  They should provide a Curriculum Vitae outlining their current and previous leadership positions and a support letter from their line manager.  

The application process will begin during 2025. To be kept informed about when it it will be possible to apply please see ‘Keep me informed’ below.

Fees

Fees for the Leadership Programme will be announced shortly. Staff from HUMANE Member Institutions and Residential School Alumni benefit from a reduced members rate.

Non HUMANE Members may attend at the full non-member rate if they meet the following criteria: they are from a higher education institution that delivers degree programmes in at least two of the three Bologna cycles (BA, MA, doctorate). Non-member applications are subject to review before acceptance. The Secretariat will apply the correct fee.

Keep me informed

To be kept informed about the 2026 edition please complete the form here.