Teaching professionals call for a cultural shift to boost lasting impact through staff development

The common theme of speakers at the Learning and Teaching Forum organised by the European University Association in Lisbon on 12 and 13/02/2026 was the need for a cultural change within institutions to achieve a lasting impact on student learning through staff development.

The closing plenary of the Forum, entitled "Connecting the Dots: How to Create Lasting Impact Through Staff Development", focused on how to design staff development to promote innovative learning and teaching.

Katarina Mårtensson, Professor of Higher Education and Academic Developer at Lund University in Sweden, said that most development happens informally on the job within the teaching and learning environment. "As staff developers, we have to think much more about different ways to support developments. We can maybe be a part of it, but it’s also about changing the culture".

Lana Par, President of the European Students’ Union (ESU), agreed with this need for change in culture and a shift in perspectives. Leadership in learning and teaching should include students at both strategic and operational levels…