Women’s Leadership in Academia in Times of Rising Geopolitical Tensions
Brussels, 10 June 2026
Date: 10 June 2026
Location: Brussels, Belgium
The European Women Rectors Association (EWORA) will hold its 2026 Conference in Brussels, bringing together women academic leaders, policy-makers, and international partners from across Europe.
The conference discussions will address several key themes, including:
• Universities at the crossroads of geopolitical change
• Values-based leadership and global responsibility
• Academic freedom and democratic resilience
• The role of women leaders in strengthening higher education institutions
• International cooperation and solidarity in higher education
08:30 – 09:30
Registration & Welcome Coffee
09:30 – 10:30
Opening Session
Kerstin Tham, President, European Women Rectors Association
Ekaterina Zaharieva, Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, European Commission (video message)
TBA
10:30 – 11:00
Keynote Session
Chair: Pamela Gillies, Former Vice Chancellor Glasgow Caledonian University
Carlien Scheele, Director of the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE)
11:00 – 11:15
Coffee Break
11:15 – 12:30
Plenary Panel 1
Universities at the Crossroads: Challenges for Higher Education Leaders
Chair: Isabel Gil, Rector, Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Fadime Üney Yüksektepe, Rector, Istanbul Kültür University
TBA
TBA
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 14:00
2nd Keynote Session
Chair: Kerstin Tham, President, EWORA
Annick Castiaux, Rector, University of Namur
14:00 – 15:15
Plenary Panel 2
Values-Based Leadership and Global Responsibility
Chair: Inga Žalėnienė, Rector, Mykolas Romeris University
Malin Ideland, Vice-Chancellor for Research and Doctoral Education, Malmö University.
Vanessa Castejon, Board Member, AFDESRI
TBA
15:15 – 15:45
Coffee Break
15:45 – 16:15
3rd Keynote Session
Chair: Prof. Birgitt Riegraf
Prof. Oliver Günther, President, University of Potsdam
16:15 – 17:30
Plenary Panel 3
Academic Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights
Chair: Sondan Durukanoğlu Feyiz, Former Rector, Kadir Has University
Hanne Leth Andersen, former Rector, Roskilde University
Katarína Slobodová Nováková, Rector, Univerzita sv. Cyrila a Metoda v Trnave
TBA
17:30 – 18:30
Closing Session
From Reflection to Action: Strengthening Women’s Leadership for Europe’s Future
Chair: Prof. Kerstin Tham
Eva Akesson, Former Vice Chancellor, Uppsala University
Sondan D. Feyiz, Former Rector, Kadir Has University (Vice President)
Birgit Riegraf, Former President, Paderborn University
Inga Žalėnienė, Rector, Mykolas Romeris University
Isabel Gil, Rector, Universidad Católica Portuguesa
Lucyna Wozniak, Vice Rector, Medical University of Łódź,
Pamela Gillies, Former Vice-Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University
18:30
Coktail Reception
