About the Event

The Third International HLA Community Weekend 

Kinsale, Ireland | July 10th–12th, 2026

Join us in the stunning coastal town of Kinsale, where colourful streets meet award-winning cuisine, rich history, and breathtaking seascapes along the Wild Atlantic Way.

This special weekend offers the perfect opportunity to connect, reflect, and grow together as a community. Across the weekend, you’ll take part in:

  • Interactive workshops & leadership discussions to realign your goals for the year ahead

  • Exclusive sessions with Dr. Johann Malawana (Managing Director, HLA)

  • Cultural and culinary experiences, from exploring Kinsale’s historic forts to indulging in its world-famous food scene

Just a short journey from Cork Airport, Kinsale is the ideal setting for an inspiring mix of professional development, community spirit, and coastal adventure.

👉 Mark your calendars now — we can’t wait to welcome you!

Instructor

Elsa Harte

Elsa is an academic doctor in critical care research on Cambridge's Specialised Foundation Programme. She studied Medicine at Cardiff University and throughout this time, she became involved in critical care research projects, publishing and presenting her work on COVID-19 internationally. In addition to her medical degree, she undertook an intercalated Bachelor of Science in Anaesthesia and Critical Care at Imperial College London and has continued her work on sepsis subphenotyping as a visiting researcher.

She has served as an academic representative at Cardiff University and Imperial College London while also acting as series lead for the award-winning medical education platform Osceazy. As a scholar on the 24/25 cohort of the Healthcare Leadership Academy and the current National Research Director for the MedTech Foundation, she has established a research academy in collaboration with the NIHR HealthTech Centres in Cambridge and London. Through this widening participation initiative, she aims to increase access to research opportunities for medical students.

She has dedicated two years to the Students for Global Health National Committee and represented the organisation at the IFMSA General Assembly in India. Now, as a newly elected Trustee, she aims to continue mentoring and guiding the national committee in its mission of tackling global health inequalities through education and advocacy.

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.