Leadership Academy 2026

“Develop your leadership potential and connect with future leaders in psychiatry across Europe!”

📍 Strasbourg, France
📅 3–6 September 2026

Application deadline : 30 April 2026

About the Leadership Academy

In 2025, the Early Career Psychiatrists’ Committee launched the very first edition of the EPA Leadership Academy — a milestone initiative created to strengthen leadership capacity among psychiatric trainees and early career psychiatrists across Europe. The programme brought together 29 early career professionals for three days of intensive and in-person learning.

Building on the success of this inaugural edition, the Leadership Academy continues to grow as a dynamic space for developing the skills, confidence, and vision needed to take on leadership roles in clinical, academic and organisational settings.

What Participants Say

“This was the first EPA event I attended and it was valuable to meet faculty and other clinicians from Europe, the information on leadership skills was well-balanced and important in our daily personal as well as professional”, Rexhep, Leadership Academy 2025 participant

“I’m very grateful for the chance to connect deeply with colleagues from different countries, share experiences, and grow together through interactive sessions”, Matej, Leadership Academy 2025 participant

Discover more about the 2025 edition and participants’ experiences → view here

Apply NOW FOR THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Application deadline : 30 April 2026

Learning Outcomes

Through this programme, participants will enhance key professional and leadership competencies, including:

Understanding leadership theories and ethical frameworks.
Enhancing communication skills, professionalism, and team management.
Learning about advocacy, mentoring, and self-care for leaders.
Gaining insight into psychiatric leadership applicable to various settings, including academia, hospitals and clinics and professional organizations.
Practicing additional skills such as audience engagement, presentation, and public speaking techniques.

Programme

The Leadership Academy offers a dynamic and highly engaging learning experience, combining expert-led sessions with hands-on activities designed to build practical leadership skills.

Participants will:

Attend plenary lectures delivered by renowned experts in psychiatry and leadership
Take part in interactive workshops focused on real-world challenges
Engage in case discussions, role-playing exercises, and group activities
Access an exclusive library of online lectures from external speakers and EPA leaders
Visit the European Parliament and gain insight into mental health policy at a European level

This immersive approach ensures a practical and impactful learning experience, supporting participants in developing both confidence and leadership competence.

You can download the draft programme here. Please note that this is a preliminary version and may be subject to updates.

Faculty

Learn from leading experts in European psychiatry:

Dr. Olivier Andlauer, Centre for Psychiatry and Mental Health, Queen Mary University of London, and East London NHS Foundation Trust, London (UK)
Dr Julian Beezhold, EPA Secretary General, Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, Norwich (UK)
Prof. Sophia Frangou, MD, PhD, is Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Prior to her current appointment, she was head of the Section of Neurobiology of Psychosis at King’s College London, UK (1997-2012)
Prof. Norman Sartorius, Association for the Improvement of Mental Health Programmes, Geneva (Switzerland)
Dr. Asilay Seker, EPA Early Career Psychiatrists’ Committee, ECPC Taskforce on Professional Development, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London (UK)

To learn more about the faculty check our page “Meet the Faculty”.

Eligibility

To apply, candidates must:

Be in possession of a Medical Doctor degree
Have at least 4 years of training/work in psychiatry (or currently undertaking the 4th-year of residency)
Be under the age of 40 and/or 5 years after passing the specialist exam (on the Leadership Academy dates)
Reside in a country included in the World Health Organisation Europe region
Be fluent in English (reading, writing, and speaking)
Demonstrate an interest in psychiatric leadership, assessed through a CV and motivational letter

Registration Fees

There are three categories of registration fees based on the list from the World Bank Country List.

Participants from lower-middle income countries: 165 €
Participants from upper-middle income countries: 275 €
Participants from high income countries: 330 €

The EPA will cover your accommodation for the duration of the event. Lunches will be provided on site.

Apply NOW FOR THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

Application deadline : 30 April 2026

For any questions, please contact us at leadership.academy@europsy.net