Leadership Academy for Researchers - One of the Key Pillars of LASER-PRO
LASER-PRO is not only about advancing next-generation laser technologies. As a Horizon Europe Excellence Hub, it is about building a strong, sustainable innovation ecosystem across Czechia, Lithuania, and Ukraine. And one of its key pillars is leadership development in science.
Strengthening Leadership Capacity in Research
Within the LASER-PRO framework, the Leadership Academy for Researchers represents a strategic investment in human capital. Because cutting-edge infrastructure and scientific excellence alone are not enough. Long-term competitiveness depends on people who can lead teams, shape research directions, manage complexity, and build healthy institutional cultures.
Researchers are often placed in leadership roles - as principal investigators, group leaders, or project coordinators - without systematic preparation. The Academy addresses this gap directly.
Launched on 28 January 2026 as a pilot programme within the LASER-PRO ecosystem, the Academy brings together participants from partner institutions across the three countries, reinforcing cross-border knowledge exchange and shared learning.
Programme Structure
The pilot edition includes:
- Six interactive online webinars led by Filip Kahoun, focusing on personal, team, and strategic leadership foundations.
- Six in-person workshops in Dolní Břežany facilitated by Jana Puhalová, translating leadership principles into the specific realities of academic and research environments.
The topics were carefully selected based on consultations with scientists to ensure practical relevance - from communication and decision-making under pressure to preventing burnout and building professional reputation.
Beyond the Pilot
The Leadership Academy is embedded in LASER-PRO’s broader education, training, and development strategy - a core component of the project’s long-term vision.
Upcoming steps include:
- An open series “Practical Skills for Scientists” addressing recruitment, onboarding, AI in proposal writing, and other everyday research challenges.
- A new Academy round in autumn 2026 open to additional Czech research institutions.
- A tailor-made version designed specifically for research teams and institutions seeking structured leadership support.
More information at leadershipinscience.academy
By positioning leadership development as one of its key pillars, LASER-PRO reinforces a simple but powerful principle - sustainable scientific excellence starts with empowered people.
Technology builds capacity.
Leadership builds culture.
And culture sustains innovation.