Conference Topic
This years's IRUAS Conference is dedicated to Student Wellbeing and Mental Health. The growing number of students struggling with a range of problems respresents an increasing challenge for faculty and staff at university-level institutions. That is why the HSLU has decided to shed light on the topic.
The goal of the 2024 conference is to equip participants with the necessary tools to address these increasingly challenging situations with a series of talks and workshops, and a panel discussion. The situation of exchange students and students in international degree programmes will be an issue of specific interest.
Our understanding of “student wellbeing” and “mental health” for the purposes of this conference is set out in the section below:
- Quote about Student Wellbeing: "The overall state of balance and harmony in the social, mental, and physical aspects of a student's life. This includes having strong social connections and support networks, maintaining positive mental health and emotional resilience, and taking care of one's physical health through regular exercise, proper nutrition, and sufficient rest.” (definition Saxion University of Applied Sciences)
- Concepts of Mental Health: "Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic human right. And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development.
Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders. It exists on a complex continuum, which is experienced differently from one person to the next, with varying degrees of difficulty and distress and potentially very different social and clinical outcomes.
Mental health conditions include mental disorders and psychosocial disabilities as well as other mental states associated with significant distress, impairment in functioning, or risk of self-harm. People with mental health conditions are more likely to experience lower levels of mental well-being, but this is not always or necessarily the case." (World Health Organisation)
Of course, the conference will also offer various networking opportunities with ample time to discuss other (international) issues with peers from other Swiss institutions.
We are looking forward to your participation and to our exchanges.
Registration deadline: 31 August 2024. Please note that the number of participants is limited.
