Tina Joyce, Programme Director, Graduate School Health Care Management, RCSI, writes about The HOPE Exchange Programme 2025 and RCSI’s Strategic Role.
The HOPE Exchange Programme 2025, coordinated by the European Hospital and Healthcare Federation (HOPE), takes place from May 19 to June 15, 2025. This highly respected initiative offers healthcare managers and professionals across Europe the chance to broaden their leadership capabilities, develop a deeper understanding of different healthcare systems, and foster long-lasting international collaboration.
Since its inception in 1981, the programme has grown to include 37 member organisations across the EU, United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Serbia. The programme is not clinical or technical but instead focuses on multi-professional development, welcoming participants with at least three years’ experience in healthcare management and proficiency in the host country’s working language.
Participants are placed in healthcare facilities abroad for a four-week immersion designed to expose them to different healthcare systems, leadership models, and operational practices. Their role during this period is supernumerary—focused solely on learning, not filling staffing gaps.
What Makes HOPE Valuable?
For Participants, the programme is a unique opportunity for:
- Professional and personal growth through exposure to new healthcare settings.
- Gaining insights into best practices and innovative approaches in different countries.
- Comparing and better understanding their own national healthcare systems.
- Networking with peers across Europe and joining a lifelong community of healthcare leaders.
- Renewed clarity in their own leadership purpose and potential.
For Sending Organisations, benefits include:
- The return of professionals equipped with fresh perspectives and international insights.
- Greater leadership capacity and readiness to implement change at a system level.
- Strategic exposure to global healthcare innovations.
For Host Organisations, the programme provides:
- Opportunities to share their models of care with international colleagues.
- Fresh viewpoints and feedback from visiting professionals.
- Connections with a growing European healthcare network.
Programme Structure: Practical Learning in a Real-World Context
The HOPE Exchange Programme focuses on four main pillars of learning:
- Understanding the Host Country’s Healthcare System
Participants learn about the financing, structure, and cultural dynamics of healthcare at the national level. - Exploring the Host Organisation
Exposure to different departments and services offers a systemic view of how care is delivered within local facilities. - Engaging with the Annual Theme
Each year, a central theme guides activities, discussions, and visits. Participants delve into this theme through dialogue with healthcare leaders and site tours. - Tailoring to Specific Interests
Participants are encouraged to identify and explore personal learning goals. These may evolve during the exchange and are supported by host organisations.
The exchange culminates in the HOPE Agora, a final conference where all participants gather to present their findings and reflect on their experiences. In 2025, the Agora will take place in Vienna, Austria, from June 13-15, serving as a platform for knowledge exchange and networking.
RCSI’s Graduate School of Healthcare Management: Leadership in Action
In Ireland, the Graduate School of Healthcare Management at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences plays a critical role in supporting HOPE participants. Recognising that healthcare today demands more than technical skill, the School offers a bespoke Executive Systems Leadership Programme tailored to those selected for the HOPE exchange.
This short, intensive leadership development initiative prepares Irish participants for the cross-cultural and strategic challenges they’ll face. The programme is based on the principles of systems leadership, which prioritise:
- Collaborative influence over top-down control,
- Relationship-building across sectors,
- Deep listening and adaptive thinking.
This approach moves away from traditional “heroic” models of leadership and towards a more distributed and inclusive compassionate form of leadership guidance—exactly what modern healthcare systems need.
The Irish delegation in 2025 includes:
- Miska Myllylä, Project Manager, Finland
- Joana Faro, Hospital Administrator, Portugal
- Marije van Dijk, Head of Department of Anaesthesia, Netherlands
- Tanja Würtz Rasmussen, Biomedical Laboratory Scientist Manager, Denmark
They were joined by Professor Michael West, CBE, of The King’s Fund (UK), whose thought leadership on healthcare compassionate and collaborative cultures and systems leadership will enrich the learning experience.
Conclusion: Shaping the Future of Healthcare Leadership
The HOPE Exchange Programme 2025 is more than a professional development opportunity—it is a catalyst for change in European healthcare. Participants return home with sharpened leadership skills, a broader worldview, and new strategies to improve care delivery.
With the dedicated support of RCSI’s Graduate School of Healthcare Management, participants are particularly well prepared to translate their experiences into action, helping shape a healthcare future that is collaborative, innovative, compassionate and patient-centred.
By joining this transformative initiative, participants not only grow as individuals but also strengthen the collective and compassionate leadership capacity of Europe’s healthcare systems.
