Mental Health – Resilience in Academic Life

The programme aims to raise awareness of mental health and resilience in academic environments while fostering dialogue between students and staff. Participants will identify challenges related to mental well-being in higher education and co-create potential pathways for promoting resilience, well-being and supportive academic communities.

How can higher education institutions strengthen resilience and mental well-being among students and staff?

Building on insights from the first Change Maker Ambassador pilot programme held in Riga in April 2026, this programme addresses mental health as a shared challenge across the academic community. During the pilot dialogue circle, students, academic staff and administrative staff identified mental health and resilience as key concerns requiring further attention. A particularly important insight was that stressed students are often taught by stressed lecturers. The programme will explore exam stress, feeling overwhelmed, conflicting goals, anxiety and other mental health concerns and develop possible pathways to action.

• Mental health awareness trainers and burnout prevention trainers, psychologists from Villach Hospital and Diakonie deLa Tour (i.a. experts in the field of eating disorders)
• Internal stakeholders: CUAS Student Support Center

Registration is done by email. To register, please send an email to the programme coordinators: m.gruber@cuas.at, a.stitzel@cuas.at.

Participants receive a certificate worth 1 ECTS.

Marika Gruber, e-mail: m.gruber@cuas.at

Andrea Stitzel, e-mail: a.stitzel@cuas.at