Thriving Together
Advancing Mental Wellbeing in European Higher Education

Bringing European faculty, administrators, & students together to share best practices in mental well-being & resilience

25th November 2025

Online

About the Symposium

Since ancient times, the swan has symbolized calm dynamism - depicting a state of inner tranquillity despite outer turmoil. Ancient texts describe its mythical ability to separate milk from water, a reminder of human discernment. The swan also symbolizes psychological flourishing: being fully engaged in life, yet free from overwhelming stress and anxiety. Like the swan, we too can find calm amidst chaos, build resilience to face challenges with equanimity, and contribute meaningfully to society.

This symposium addresses the urgent questions: Why? and How?

320+ universities

SKY Campus is present accross universities in Europe, Asia, and America

The need to address mental well-being in higher education is more urgent now than ever. Recent surveys highlight rising stress, reduced concentration, and retention challenges among students, alongside growing concerns about workload, burnout, and resilience among academic staff.

Beyond academic pressures, students and staff face the relentless influence of social media, rapid technological change, and global crises such as wars and climate change, which amplify stress and uncertainty.

Yet, Universities are also expected to remain the engines of innovation and creativity, preparing the next generation not only to adapt, but to create solutions for complex global challenges. Meeting these expectations requires more than technical knowledge: it calls for resilience, focus, inner peace, energy, and social skills.

The symposium invites us to reimagine higher education as a space where wellbeing and innovation go hand in hand, enabling thriving individuals to build thriving institutions capable of responding to the demands of our time.

25 November, '25
14.00 - 16.15 CET
(Online)

Our Partners

Why Now?

Why Higher Education?

In addition to the reduced concentration and retention challenges observed among students, recent reports show that 1 in 4 students in Europe experience heightened anxiety and stress, and more than 1 in 3 PhD students struggle with anxiety and depression linked to their studies. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation: an OECD study found mental health to be the most challenging aspect of the crisis for students aged 15–24.

At the same time, faculty and academic staff face growing workloads, burnout, and concerns about resilience, creating an urgent need for effective wellbeing strategies across all levels of higher education.

How?

By sharing our experiences, we can overcome these challenges and discover practical, sustainable solutions. Through succinct impulse talks by global experts and short experiential practices, this symposium will explore:

What current science says about effective mental health interventions
Best practices for integrating wellbeing programs into higher education
Evidence behind the SKY Campus Happiness, a comprehensive evidence-based approach for sustainable wellbeing and thriving
First-hand perspectives from faculty, students, and administrators

Who should attend?

Symposium Spotlight

The SKY Campus Happiness is one of the most widely adopted mental health initiatives, reaching students at over 300 universities worldwide. Independent global experts will present their latest research on the program’s scientific and practical impact, demonstrating how it strengthens resilience, focus, and well-being in higher education.

Attendees will also gain insights into the program’s success factors and learn how similar strategies can be adopted at their own institutions.

We welcome:

Faculty and researchers seeking to balance well-being with academic demands
Students looking for tools to thrive and manage stress
University leaders and administrators interested in implementing sustainable well-being programs and developing comprehensive institutional strategies
Scientists interested in conducting independent research on evidence-based mental health programs
Health Insurances and funding agencies seeking means to reduce the long-term burden of mental illness through evidence-based interventions and sustainable well-being strategies.

Program Highlights

Keynotes from leading Universities: Yale University, Coimbra University, RWTH Aachen, UCLA, Copenhagen Business School, and more
Interactive panels featuring students, faculty, and staff sharing experiences and practical solutions
Experiential practices led by certified mental health trainers to cultivate focus, resilience, and well-being
Case studies showcasing the implementation of mental health programs across diverse university settings
Opportunities to discuss and introduce evidence-based strategies at your institution

SKY Campus Happiness is an initiative by University students and staff, for University students and staff. Driven almost entirely by volunteer-students and staff who have personally benefitted from various SKY Campus Happiness Programs, it is based on the teachings of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, global renowned humanitarian, peace ambassador, and expert on mental-health.

SKY Campus Happiness programs are built on 4 evidence-based components: Research-backed breathwork and meditation, emotional intelligence training, inclusion and social connection, and service and leadership. These elements are brought together in a dynamic and immersive self-development retreat for University students, staff, and faculty.

Students in leading universities across the world (e.g. Coimbra University, Lyon Medical College, Stanford, MIT, Harvard) have testified that techniques taught in this program have made them stronger people and leaders by reducing stress, boosting energy, improving time management, and increasing confidence in interpersonal relationships. Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY), the power-packed technique that is at the heart of the program has been shown in various randomized clinical trials to reduce physical and mental stress, increase overall wellbeing, and bring the mind into an incredible state of relaxed alertness - a state of meditation or flow.

100+ independent studies have shown that the SKY Campus Happiness techniques significantly reduce cortisol - the stress hormone, increase optimism, relieve anxiety and depression, increase antioxidant production, enhance mental focus, and speed up recovery from stressful stimuli.