Learn more about the Programme
Empowering young people to transform lived experience into impact.
NextGen Patient Experts is Luxembourg’s first programme for young adults aged 18–30 with a chronic illness and/or disability. We help you step into the role of patient expert and use your voice with confidence.
Created by the Académie des Patients , the programme supports participants in developing the knowledge, confidence and skills needed to contribute meaningfully to healthcare, social policy, and civic participation.
The programme is entirely free of charge, and applications are open until 31 January 2026.
Why join NextGen Patient Experts?
You’ve lived through what others only read about – yet young people with chronic illness or disability are still missing from decision-making tables.
This programme gives you the tools, confidence, and community to:
- Understand the value of your lived experience
- Strengthen the skills that help you stand up and speak out
- Shape healthcare that truly represents you
- Connect with others who share your challenges and ambitions
Programme Overview
NextGen Patient Experts runs throughout 2026 and is structured into three complementary modules:
- Understanding, Structuring & Sharing Your Experience
Develop your personal health narrative in an ethical, constructive and impactful way.
Strengthen communication skills to confidently share your lived experience in public, institutional or peer settings. - Civic Participation, Advocacy & Health System Engagement
Explore Luxembourg’s institutions, decision-making processes and key actors.
Learn about advocacy, representation, health democracy and how young patient voices can influence change. - Resilience, Well-being & Peer Support
Enhance psychosocial skills, mental well-being and self-empowerment.
Develop tools for supporting others and strengthening collective action within patient communities.
In December 2026, we’ll celebrate your journey with a graduation ceremony that recognises everything you’ve learned and contributed.
Who Can Apply?
You can join the programme if you:
- Are between 18 and 30 years old
- Live with a chronic illness or disability
- Are based in Luxembourg
- Want to use your lived experience to help shape the future of patient participation
- Have a good command of English, the programme’s working language
As shown on the programme poster:
“Your voice matters. Your experience leads the way.”
What You’ll Gain
- A stronger, more confident understanding of your own story
- Skills to engage in healthcare, social and civic dialogues
- Tools for advocacy, representation and meaningful participation
- Emotional resilience and peer support networks
- A certificate of achievement recognising your new competencies
All of this is offered free of charge to ensure accessibility and inclusion.
Why It Matters
NextGen Patient Experts supports the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), which calls for full participation, inclusion, and equal rights.
By empowering you to use your voice and lived experience, the programme helps strengthen representation and contributes to a healthcare system that truly reflects the needs of the people it serves.
Key Dates
| Applications open | 3 December 2025 |
| Applications close | 31 January 2026 |
| Programme start | Early 2026 (Exact Date TBC) |
| Graduation | December 2026 (Exact Date TBC) |
About the PatEx Academy
The Académie des Patients Experts / The Patient Expert Academy recognises your lived experience as real expertise and helps you grow the skills and confidence to shape healthcare.
With training, tools, and spaces to participate, PatEx Academy promotes a more inclusive, democratic, and representative healthcare system in Luxembourg.
Ready to Join?
Become part of the next generation of patient leaders.
Turn your lived experience into meaningful impact.
Apply now – The programme is free, and your voice can shape the future.
Do you have any further questions?
Contact our Team – we are always happy to help : NextGen26@patex.lu