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We live in a time of growing division, political polarisation, and conflict. The connections that hold our communities together are under more pressure than ever. How we respond will shape the world we share, and students will play a vital role in that future.
Leaders in Dialogue is an expert-led skills development programme from Students’ Union UCL, designed to help you become a more confident, reflective and resilient leader.
Through expert training, real-world experiences and opportunities to put your skills into practice, you’ll learn how to facilitate meaningful conversations, navigate disagreement and help build more cohesive communities.
Join the 2026-7 Leaders in Dialogue cohort
Sector-leading skills development
The programme consists of a series of bespoke, in-person training sessions and a fully funded six-day field trip to Northern Ireland. These opportunities are run in partnership with several excellent training and experiential learning providers, including Debate Mate, Upskill 4 Life, The Centre for International Experiential Learning and more.
Ongoing opportunities to develop and hone your skills
Throughout the academic year, you will also have the opportunity to take on paid roles to put your skills into practice, contributing to developing dialogues on campus. From chairing panel events, delivering peer-to-peer training, to hosting podcasts, you can see what previous participants have been able to do below.
How can I become a Leader in Dialogue?
Applications for the 2026/27 cohort of Leaders in Dialogue will open on Monday 21 September and close on Sunday 11 October.
Hiring a Leader in Dialogue
Students that have completed the programme can offer their services as chairs for events and debates. In the past, these have ranged from large, public events run by UCL faculty, to smaller events run by student societies. If you would like to hire a Leader in Dialogue for one of your events, please see our 'How to hire a Leader in Dialogue’ guidance document below and contact [email protected].
Funding
We are deeply grateful to Pears Foundation for their generous support, which has enabled Students' Union UCL to significantly expand the number of students we can reach through the Leaders in Dialogue programme. This increase is instrumental in fostering a campus environment where robust and inclusive debate can take place, and where students have the skills and confidence to disagree well. We thank Pears Foundation for supporting us to expand the co-curricular educational opportunities for UCL students.
This project forms part of a wider portfolio of initiatives supported by Pears Foundation across several UCL Faculties. Further information on the depth and breadth of the Foundation’s engagement can be found here Pears Foundation and UCL.