How can we turn the challenge of an ageing population into an opportunity to transform our societies?

Living longer is one of the biggest challenges of our times. It also gives rise to new opportunities to rethink how we promote health, organise care, design our environments, and encourage people’s participation throughout their lives.

The Ageing is Living: Highlighting the value of ageing 2027 leadership course was created to strengthen the leadership skills of those with the ability to bring about these changes and advance healthy ageing and long-term care.

Developed jointly by the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Bizkaia Provincial Council’s Nagusi Intelligence Center, the course will bring together 40 leaders from different countries and sectors in Bilbao for an intensive, three-day, face-to-face programme.

Practical training to drive change

The programme combines leadership development, systems thinking, problem-based learning, and experience sharing. Its aim is to offer tools to navigate complex contexts, build alliances, influence decision-making, and translate evidence into concrete actions.

The training is linked to the four strategic areas of action of Ageing is Living:

• strengthening prevention and health promotion.
• transforming care systems.
• creating environments that facilitate healthy ageing.
• combating ageism.

The course will take a predominantly participatory approach. Through sessions with WHO experts and invited leaders, leadership labs, systems thinking exercises, and working on real challenges, participants will be able to share experiences and learn from professionals from different countries, sectors, and governmental levels.

In addition, each participant will work on a real challenge from their own professional context with the aim of applying the acquired learning and contributing to bringing about change in their organisation, system, or community.

Who is the programme for?

The course is primarily aimed at decision-makers and leaders at the national, regional, and local levels with the ability to influence policies, systems, and environments related to how we live and age.

Profiles from diverse fields are sought such as healthcare and public health, social affairs, and long-term care, housing, economics, urban and rural development, mobility, employment, education, research, digital transformation, innovation, and communication — among others.

There will also be a limited number of places for leaders from civil society and academia who are actively involved in policy definition or implementation, or in transformation processes.

This is not a technical training course on ageing, but instead an opportunity to strengthen leadership skills, create alliances, and learn alongside professionals who work to drive change from different areas.

To take this course, participants need to have a good working level of English, as the sessions are participatory and there will be no interpretation service.

Participation in the course is free and includes lunches, coffee breaks, and a welcome dinner. Travel expenses to Bilbao, accommodation, and other living expenses will be the responsibility of each participant.

The course will be accredited by the Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA) as a training and educational activity, and participants will receive a certificate of participation from the WHO.

[Submit your application by 16 November 2026] https://extranet.who.int/dataformv6/index.php/448125?lang=en