About the course
Longer lives are one of the greatest achievements of our time. Population ageing is transforming societies across the WHO European Region, creating opportunities to rethink how we promote health, organize care, design communities and enable participation throughout life.
Realizing these opportunities requires more than technical solutions. It requires leadership: the ability to navigate complexity, work across institutional and sectoral boundaries, build coalitions, influence decisions and translate evidence into sustained action.
The Ageing is Living Leadership Course is a flagship leadership initiative on healthy ageing and long-term care, jointly developed by WHO/Europe and the Nagusi Intelligence Center of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.
The 2027 course will bring together 40 leaders from across the Region and beyond for an intensive 3-day programme combining leadership development, systems thinking, problem-based learning and peer exchange.
The course supports implementation of “Ageing is living: a strategy for promoting a lifetime of health and well-being in the WHO European Region 2026–2030” and its 4 strategic policy action areas:
- strengthening prevention and health promotion
- transforming health and care systems
- creating enabling and age-friendly environments
- challenging ageism.
Aim of the course
The course aims to strengthen the leadership capacity of decision-makers and leaders across national, regional and local levels to advance healthy ageing and long-term care.
It brings together leaders from across government and different sectors, alongside selected leaders from civil society and academia, who are in positions to influence policy, shape systems, mobilize partnerships and translate evidence into action.
Through systems thinking, leadership development and peer learning, participants will strengthen their ability to navigate complexity, build coalitions, influence change and drive coordinated action across the 4 strategic policy action areas of the “Ageing is living” strategy.
Who should apply?
The course is primarily designed for decision-makers and leaders working at national, regional and local levels of government who are in positions to shape policies, systems and environments that influence how people live and age.
Healthy ageing is shaped far beyond the health sector. Applications are therefore encouraged from leaders working across areas including:
- health and public health
- social affairs, social protection and long-term care
- finance and economic policy
- housing
- urban and rural development
- transport and mobility
- employment and labour
- education, research and lifelong learning
- digital transformation and innovation
- civil society representatives and organizations working with or for older people
- communications
- other sectors that influence how people live and age.
A limited number of places will also be available to leaders from civil society and academia who have a demonstrated role in influencing policy, supporting policy implementation or leading systems change.
Applicants should hold a position that enables them to influence decisions, mobilize others and apply the learning from the course within their organization, system or community.
The course is intended for participants who want to strengthen their leadership practice. It is not primarily a technical training course on ageing or long-term care.
What will participants gain?
By the end of the course, participants will be better equipped to:
- apply systems thinking to understand and act on complex healthy ageing and long-term care issues;
- exercise leadership in complex environments where authority and responsibility are distributed across different actors;
- strengthen strategic thinking, negotiation, collaborative decision-making and policy influencing skills;
- build coalitions and partnerships across sectors, institutions and levels of government;
- mobilize stakeholders around shared priorities and strengthen collective ownership and accountability;
- lead action across prevention and health promotion, care transformation, age-friendly environments and ageism;
- communicate effectively, shape narratives, build support for change, challenge ageism and support more balanced and inclusive narratives about age and ageing; and
- translate evidence, policy commitments and the “Ageing is living” strategy into action within their own contexts.
How will the course work?
The course combines leadership development with practical application to real-world policy and systems challenges.
Pre-course preparation
Before arriving in Bilbao, participants will complete preparatory activities introducing the “Ageing is living” strategy and key leadership and systems-thinking concepts.
Each participant will also identify a real leadership challenge from their own professional context that they are in a position to influence. These challenges will provide a foundation for reflection, peer exchange and problem-based learning during the course.
Three-day residential programme
The in-person programme will include:
- interactive plenary sessions with WHO experts, faculty and invited leaders;
- systems-thinking and systems-mapping exercises;
- leadership labs focused on negotiation, influence and collaborative decision-making;
- problem-based learning using real-world leadership and policy challenges;
- sessions addressing the 4 strategic policy action areas of the “Ageing is living” strategy;
- peer learning and exchange across countries, sectors and levels of government; and
- opportunities to learn from practical experiences in Bizkaia.
The course emphasizes participation and exchange rather than traditional classroom teaching. Participants are expected to contribute actively, share their experiences and learn from the perspectives and leadership challenges of others.
Language requirements
The working language of the course is English. As the programme is highly participatory and includes small-group discussions, leadership exercises, negotiation, problem-based learning and peer exchange, participants must have a good working proficiency in English and be able to participate actively in discussions and group activities. Interpretation will not be provided.
Selection criteria
Participation is competitive and limited to 40 participants.
Candidates will be assessed based on:
- their current leadership, decision-making or policy role and ability to influence change within their organization, sector or system;
- their responsibility for shaping, influencing or implementing policies, programmes or strategies relevant to healthy ageing and/or long-term care;
- their ability to work across sectors, institutions or levels of government and build partnerships and coalitions for change;
- a clearly identified leadership or policy challenge that they are currently seeking to address and are in a position to influence;
- their demonstrated leadership experience or potential to mobilize others and advance change;
- their potential to apply and share learning from the course and translate it into action in their professional context;
- their sufficient working proficiency in English to participate actively in discussions, group exercises and peer learning; and
- their potential to contribute actively to peer learning by bringing relevant experience, perspectives and insights to the course.
Priority will be given to applicants who are in a position to translate learning from the course into policy, organizational or systems-level action.
Selection will also seek to ensure geographic, gender, sectoral and professional diversity across the cohort.
Course information
Dates: 28–30 April 2027
Location: Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
Format: In person
Number of participants: 40
Working language: English
Participants are expected to attend the full 3-day programme and complete the pre-course preparation.
An Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA)-accredited training and educational event and a WHO certificate of participation will be provided.
Financial information and logistics
There is no course fee.
The course will include lunch and coffee breaks during the programme and a welcome dinner.
Participants are responsible for their own travel to and from Bilbao, accommodation and other expenses associated with their stay.
Visa information
Participants are responsible for determining whether they require a visa to enter Spain and for completing the necessary application process.
For successful applicants requiring a visa, an official acceptance letter can be provided by WHO/Europe upon request to support their application.
Application process
Applicants will be asked to provide information about their current role, leadership responsibilities and experience, as well as their motivation for participating in the course.
As part of the application, candidates will be asked to briefly describe a current leadership, policy or systems challenge within their area of responsibility that has implications for how people live and age, and which they are in a position to influence. Applicants will be asked to explain why the issue matters for healthy ageing and what they hope to advance through participation in the course.
Applications open: 1 October 2026
Application deadline: 16 November 2026
Successful applicants notified: First week of January 2027
Apply in the following link by 16 November 2026:
Applications will be reviewed by a selection panel convened by WHO/Europe and the Nagusi Intelligence Center of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.
About Ageing is Living
“Ageing is living: a strategy for promoting a lifetime of health and well-being in the WHO European Region 2026–2030” provides a framework for countries across the Region to support healthier lives as populations age.
The strategy combines action in later life with investment across the life course and is organized around 4 strategic policy action areas:
- Strengthening prevention and health promotion – supporting people to build and maintain their intrinsic capacity and preventing or slowing declines in health and functioning;
- Transforming health and care systems – developing integrated, person-centred systems spanning health care, rehabilitation and reablement, long-term care and support in communities;
- Creating enabling and age-friendly environments – shaping physical, social and service environments that enable people to maintain functional ability, participate and do what matters to them throughout their lives; and
- Challenging ageism – addressing stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination based on age, and strengthening dignity, equity and human rights.
Achieving this vision depends not only on what policies are adopted, but also on the leadership required to implement them. The Ageing is Living Leadership Course supports leaders to build the relationships, coalitions and capabilities needed to translate the strategy into meaningful action across countries, regions and communities.