Introduction

European Network of Physiotherapy in Higher Education (ENPHE) Workshop 2026 took place from 16–18 April 2026 in Aalborg, Denmark, and was hosted by the University College of Northern Denmark (UCN). The three-day event brought together physiotherapy educators, students, researchers, and professionals from across Europe to collaborate, exchange ideas, and advance the future of physiotherapy education within the European context.

A Workshop Built on Collaboration and Community

The overarching theme of the ENPHE Workshop 2026 was “Community-Centered Physiotherapy: Bridging Research, Practice, Policy, and Health Technologies in Europe.” The theme highlighted the interconnected roles of education, research, clinical practice, policy-making, and emerging health technologies in shaping contemporary physiotherapy education and responding to the evolving needs of European communities (Picture 1).

Throughout the Workshop, participants engaged in collaborative sessions designed to support ENPHE working groups in progressing their shared goals and initiatives. These sessions fostered dialogue, creativity, and partnership-building across national and institutional boundaries, reinforcing ENPHE’s mission to strengthen links between European Higher Education Institutions.

Programme Highlights

The workshop programme was structured to offer dedicated activities for different ENPHE stakeholders: Thursday, 16 April 2026, focused on the ENPHE Student Programme and ENPHE Board meetings, providing students with opportunities to actively engage in ENPHE activities while contributing to strategic discussions within the organization. Friday and Saturday, 17–18 April 2026, were dedicated to the main workshop activities, with working group sessions, collaborative discussions, and shared reflections addressing current challenges and opportunities in physiotherapy education across Europe.

Research group work – where we are now

One of the ENPHE working groups is the Research Working Group (Picture 2), which worked actively during the Workshop. The activities of the research group and their outcomes have been described in a Finnish-language published article (Äijö et al. 2025), and in this blog article they are now presented in English. During the seminar, the group reviewed the status of its sub-groups and discussed the current progress of ongoing activities.

The systematic literature review has now been successfully registered in the PROSPERO registry, and the work is progressing towards the writing phase of the scientific article. This work is based on an earlier published scoping review article (Boshnjaku et al. 2023). The More Life to Your Years project has advanced steadily, albeit at a slower pace.

The next Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) course is currently being planned to take place in Paris, France. The previous BIP was implemented at the University of La Coruña, where student participation throughout the week-long programme was excellent. During the BIP week in collaboration with students, a total of eight blog articles were written and published. The links to these blog posts are available on the ENPHE Research Working Group’s website. Altogether, 24 blog articles have been published jointly with students across different BIP weeks between the years 2023-2025. The main aim of the blog article activity has been to support students in practicing the use of the PEDro assessment tool. Through the critical appraisal of research articles, students have also had the opportunity to develop their academic writing skills by practicing short-form scientific writing in English. A survey targeting physiotherapy educators on the teaching of evidence-based physiotherapy is currently in the data collection phase.

First-Time Participation: New Members’ Experiences of the ENPHE Workshop Research Group

These reflections underline the importance of a supportive and structured research environment for new members. The ENPHE Workshop Research Group provided space for discussion, peer learning, and the development of shared research interests. Next, we share a few experiences from new members.

“This workshop marked my first participation in the ENPHE research group, and it proved to be a genuinely stimulating experience. Working alongside colleagues from across Europe who share my commitment to research and EBP was refreshing; a reminder that the questions we ask in our respective institutions are rarely as isolated as they can sometimes feel.

What struck me most was the remarkable potential of this collective. The group brings together the accumulated experience of senior researchers and the energy and fresh perspectives of younger members, a combination that I believe is one of the most fertile grounds for meaningful scientific work.

On a practical level, the group made concrete progress during the seminar: we finalised the new survey addressing students and engaged in productive discussions around the statistical analysis of the teacher survey already underway. Seeing a shared project move forward in real time, through genuine collegial debate, was a satisfying reminder of what collaborative research can achieve.

I leave this first experience with a clear sense of where I stand: committed to this group, and with no shortage of ideas for future collaborations. I look forward to building on what was started here.”

Next, we hear from another new participant about their journey into the group and what the experience meant to them.

“Being part of the ENPHE Research Working Group was a truly rewarding experience, both at work and personally. It gave me a chance to connect with colleagues and students who are genuinely interested in educational research, creating an inspiring, collaborative environment. During the time with the group, I was able to share ideas and experiences with people from many different physiotherapy backgrounds. This helped me see new challenges and innovations in the field. The conversations were interesting and reminded me of the importance of research for the future of education. Networking was just as valuable. Meeting other professionals and new researchers made it possible to start future collaborations and keep the conversation going after the group ended. This experience made me even more motivated to contribute to educational research and showed me how important it is to work together internationally.”

Why the ENPHE Workshop Mattered

The ENPHE Workshop 2026 provided a unique platform for sharing innovative educational and research practices and strengthening collaboration between educators, students, and researchers. By bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise, the workshop supported ENPHE’s broader aim of promoting high-quality physiotherapy education and enhancing cooperation across European higher education institutions (Picture 3.)

Reflections and Looking Ahead

The ENPHE Workshop 2026 in Aalborg succeeded in combining professional development, academic exchange, and community building. The collaboration during the Workshop provided a solid foundation for future cooperation and the development of new projects and research to support the advancement of physiotherapy education. The event highlighted once again the strength of the ENPHE community and its shared commitment to advancing physiotherapy education in Europe.

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Authors

Marja Äijö PhD, principal lecturer of rehabilitation and physiotherapy, Savonia University of Applied Sciences

Christophe Romanet, PT, MSc, PhD, Physician Scientist, Critical Care Unit, GHPSJ, Paris, France, Head of Research, CEERRF, France

Mário Lopes, PhD, Adjunct Professor, School of Health Sciences of the University of Aveiro, Portugal.

Lorena Canosa Carro, PT, MSc, PhD. Lecturer at Universidad Europea de Madrid, Spain.

Zeltia Naia, Prof, PhD, MSc, PT. Faculty of Physiotherapy, University of A Coruña, Spain

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References

Boshnjaku A, Arnadottir AS, Pallot A, Wagener M, Äijö M. 2023. Improving the Evidence-Based Practice Skills of Entry-Level Physiotherapy Students through Educational Interventions: A Scoping Review of Literature. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(16), 6605; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20166605

European Network of Physiotherapy in Higher Education (ENPHE) (n.d.). ENPHE official website. Retrieved April 27, 2026, from https://www.enphe.org/en

Äijö M, Wagener MN, Pavlů D, Pallot A, Qorolli M, Multanen J, Zeltia N. 2025. ENPHE – Eurooppalainen yhteistyö näyttöön perustuvan fysioterapiakoulutuksen kehittämiseksi. Fysioterapia 5, 52–53