About the Event

Join HLA scholars, alumni, healthcare professionals, and community members from across Ethiopia for a weekend of meaningful connections, knowledge sharing, and community building.

Date & Location

📅 5–6 December 2026
📍 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The HLA Ethiopia Community Weekend is a unique opportunity for members of the HLA community to come together in person for two days of learning, networking, and fellowship.

Designed to be a low-cost, high-impact event, the weekend will create space for participants to exchange ideas, strengthen professional relationships, celebrate Ethiopian culture, and build a stronger local HLA network.

Through engaging discussions, interactive workshops, networking activities, and cultural experiences, attendees will leave inspired, connected, and empowered to make a greater impact within their communities.

Event Highlights

  • Traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

  • Outdoor Networking Sessions

  • Interactive Table Discussions

  • Knowledge Sharing Workshops

  • Community Building Activities

  • Professional Development Opportunities

Event Objectives

The HLA Ethiopia Community Weekend aims to:

  • Strengthen the local HLA community through meaningful in-person engagement.

  • Facilitate knowledge sharing through workshops and collaborative discussions.

  • Provide an accessible and affordable development opportunity for Ethiopian participants.

  • Foster professional connections and peer support.

  • Blend learning, networking, and cultural experiences into a memorable community event.

Why Attend?

Expand Your Network

Meet fellow HLA scholars, alumni, and professionals from across Ethiopia.

Learn from Others

Gain insights through facilitated discussions, workshops, and shared experiences.

Build Lasting Connections

Develop meaningful relationships that extend beyond the weekend.

Celebrate Community

Experience the warmth of Ethiopian culture through shared meals, conversations, and a traditional coffee ceremony.

Invest in Your Growth

Discover new ideas, opportunities, and perspectives that can support your personal and professional journey.

We look forward to welcoming you to Addis Ababa for an inspiring weekend of learning, connection, and community.

Instructor

Andrea Johnson

As a member of the senior management team within the Healthcare Leadership Academy, Andrea plays a key role in developing future healthcare leaders, as a cohort director, through mentorship, and as an advocate for compassionate, inclusive leadership across the sector. Her work with the HLA reflects her commitment to nurturing emerging talent and shaping the future culture of healthcare.

Alongside this, Andrea is a recognised leader in healthcare innovation and social impact. As co-founder and CEO of the dental charity Den‑Tech, she champions equitable access to oral healthcare and builds collaborative solutions to support underserved communities. Within the NHS, Andrea is known for driving quality improvement, empowering staff, and fostering transparent, wellbeing‑led leadership cultures. Her insight is regularly sought by national advisory groups, where she contributes to the development of professional standards, workforce policy, and the future direction of dental and healthcare practice.

Andrea’s contributions have been recognised through multiple national awards and repeated inclusion in leading sector rankings. Beyond her professional work, she brings her curiosity and determination to ultra‑distance events, adventure travel, and time outdoors with her dogs.

Organisation

The Healthcare Leadership Academy

The Healthcare Leadership Academy formed in response to demand from young clinicians and medical students to learn about leadership.

Founded by Dr Johann Malawana (Course Director), former leader of the Junior Doctor Dispute, and a team of like-minded professionals (Our Faculty and Assistant Course Directors) the Healthcare Leadership Academy launched on 20th December 2016.

HLA houses an exciting faculty from across the health sector and beyond. Their shared aim is to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals and develop their understanding of leadership. Too often in healthcare, leadership is confused with management. Through a combination of mentoring, Socratic discussion, and philosophical exploration, HLA aims to inspire our scholars to change the world of healthcare, one small step at a time.

At a time when the world seems an ever more worrying place, it is important that the next generation of healthcare professionals truly understand how to motivate the people they work with in order to best look after the populations they serve.