EUniWell – The European University for Well-Being

The twelve universities that are part of EUniWell are: 

• University of Birmingham, Great Britain
• University of Cologne, Germany
• University of Florence, Italy
• University of Konstanz, Germany
• University of Murcia, Spain
• University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
• Inalco (Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales) in Paris, France
• Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
• Nantes University, France
• Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary
• Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine
• Linnaeus University in Kalmar and Växjö, Sweden

In addition, there is a network consisting of associated partners, including the municipalities of the cities in question, and a number of academic institutions and organisations within education, culture and health, as well as companies, that support EUniWell’s vision.

Common vision

Bringing together higher education institutions with a shared vision, EUniWell works to understand, improve, measure and rebalance wellbeing for individuals, our communities, our environment and society at large. This work takes place at regional, European and global levels. It is grounded in our shared values of being democratic, inclusive, research‑ and challenge‑based, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary, entrepreneurial and co‑creative.

EUniWell Arenas

EUniWell works through five Arenas – key areas that connect research and education with well-being. These Arenas are at the heart of EUniWell’s activities and bring together expertise from across its universities.

An Arena is a collaborative network where researchers, students, and professionals from different disciplines work together on a shared topic. The format is open and flexible, encouraging co-creation in international and interdisciplinary teams. Each Arena is linked to specific UN Sustainable Development Goals and to fields where EUniWell universities have strong knowledge and experience.

EUniWell focuses on five Arenas where EUniWell can have the most significant impact:

Health and Well-Being

This arena promotes health and well-being for all. Uniting researchers, students, and civil society, we tackle challenges from migration, demographic shifts, and technological change through a proactive, integrated approach that promotes health, prevents chronic disease, and supports sustainable healthcare systems.

Social Equality and Well-Being

Here, we explore well-being from a global perspective, focusing on human rights, citizenship, security, and peace. Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we advance inter-disciplinary research and policy solutions addressing challenges to well-being at regional, national, and international levels.

Environmental Change and Well-being

Being In this arena, we address climate change and protection to build sustainable, safe, and inclusive environments. Bringing together experts in economics, social sciences, agriculture, and biology, we offer a comprehensive approach to understanding and solving environmental issues.

Culture, Multilingualism and Well-being

We advance culture and multilingualism as pillars of social well-being. By encouraging the use and teaching of regional, minority, and migrant languages and highlighting the value of plurilingual and intercultural education, we foster personal growth and social bonds as well as social dialogue and cohesion.

Teacher Education and Well-being

Here, we prepare and support teachers to tackle the challenges of modern classrooms and societies. By placing well-being at the heart of educational transformation for both learners and teachers, we aim to address global teacher shortages while promoting an international curriculum focused on inclusion, guidance, sustainability, digitalisation, democracy, and health. 

Seedfunding within EUniWell

EUniWell’s Seed Funding Programme supports small-scale collaborative projects initiated by students, researchers, teachers and professional staff across the partner universities. The aim is to develop new ideas and strengthen cooperation that contributes to well-being within universities and in society.

The programme welcomes projects linked to EUniWell’s work on health, education, social and cultural inclusion, environmental sustainability and institutional development, with particular attention to the five Thematic Arenas.

Calls are launched twice a year and are jointly funded by all partner universities. To be eligible, a project must involve at least four EUniWell universities. Selected projects can receive up to €25,000 for a duration of up to twelve months.

A seed funding idea that grew – Daniel Silander on democracy work in Ukraine

Daniel Silander Anders Runesson

EUniWell’s seed funding can give researchers the opportunity to develop collaborations that grow over time. One example is the project Education for Democratic Citizenship, led by Daniel Silander, Associate Professor of Political Science.

In the interview, he describes how the work began and the impact the project has had – a clear example of what small-scale seed funding can lead to.

Read the interview with Daniel Silander:
https://lnu.se/en/change/area-of-strength-core-of-welfare/the-struggle-for-change-and-a-democratic-ukraine/

EUniWell Work Packages and Coordination

More information

• Explore EUniWell for students on Linnaeus University's student webpage
• To the website EUniWell.eu
• Subscribe to the EUniWell Newsletter 
• About the European Universities on the Swedish Higher Education Authority’s website (in Swedish)
• About the European Universities Initiative on the European Commission’s website