This month, the Free University of Brussels (ULB) reached the highest FISU Healthy Campus certification level of platinum, the University of Aveiro is now on the 3rd level with the silver certification, while the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria and the University of Geneva both received the 2nd level bronze certification. The University of Santiago de Chile joined in on the list of certified universities after it was awarded the initial FISU Healthy Campus certification.
The FISU Healthy Campus programme rewards universities worldwide that enhance an active lifestyle and promote wellbeing on campuses. Based on criteria developed by leading global experts, universities are evaluated across diverse domains such as physical activity and sport, nutrition, disease prevention and social responsibility, to name a few.
“The FISU Healthy Campus programme encourages cohesion and coordination among all the departments and services of a campus,” says Director of FISU Healthy Campus and Universities Relations Fernando Parente. “In many situations, it is difficult to develop common projects because of a complex structure or different locations. The programme promotes the cohesion of the university as one of its main objectives to mobilise collaboration from students, professors, researchers, staff and different stakeholders. Similar to sport, it’s a project where everyone ‘wears the same shirt’ and are united and coordinated to produce better results.”
So far, more than 70 universities from 37 countries have joined the FISU Healthy Campus programme, which represents more than 3 million university students. Among the 74 universities registered in the programme, 20 of them have already reached the certified group.
The University of Minho, which joined the programme in July 2020, recently submitted a self-assessment of 92 criteria out of the 100 set by FISU Healthy Campus. Prof. Rui Vieira de Castro, the Rector of the University of Minho, explains this score: “The unit of Minho´s social services has been organised and structured since 1996 and has embraced the FISU Healthy Campus programme and thus contributes to the well-being and quality of life of the members of the University. The sports department leading the certification process of the FISU Healthy Campus programme, includes areas such as sport and physical activity, mental and social health, nutrition, disease prevention, risk behaviours, environment, sustainability and social responsibility. We strongly believe that a student who experiences a better quality of life is a student who is more likely to achieve better academic and professional results in the future.”
Prof. Rui Vieira de Castro adds: “We take into account some factors to achieve the Healthy Campus goals – such as the partnerships with stakeholders – by involving different local partners and establishing protocols so that we can be open to society through the development of joint projects and to develop strong partnerships and to assure deep involvement”.
In 2019, the University of Minho was considered by the European Association of University Sports (EUSA) to be the best University of the decade (2009-2019) and was also awarded the Medal of Sport Merit by the Portuguese Government for the work and development in the field of sport and physical activity.
FISU Healthy Campus also trains auditors from each university who participates in the programme, so that they can create a good assessment of their own university and the progress that it is undergoing. FISU Healthy Campus will hold the first online training course in the first week of October and will enable the participants to become certified FISU Healthy Campus auditors.
Picture credit: University of Minho
