EMBRACE: EUniWell launches new programme to strengthen mental health and well-being in higher education
Nine EUniWell universities are joining forces to place mental health and well-being at the centre of higher education through Enhancing Mental Balance and a Resilient Academic Community Ecosystem (EMBRACE), a three-year cooperation project bringing together the universities of Nantes, Cologne, Konstanz, Linnaeus, Murcia, Santiago de Compostela, Florence, Kyiv and Semmelweis within the Alliance.
Funded with a total budget of €400,000 under Erasmus+ KA220 – Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education, EMBRACE adesses the growing mental health challenges faced by students and staff, as well as the need for universities to adopt more coherent, inclusive and sustainable approaches to well-being.
The project was officially kicked off in December 2025 and is now entering its first implementation phase with the first tangible outcomes already emerging. These include activities focusing on the co-creation of a shared, sustainable framework for Mental Health Weeks across partner universities, with the first EMBRACE/EUniWell Staff Week taking place in Konstanz from 4 to 8 May.
A shared ambition for healthier academic communities
The overall objective of EMBRACE is to support EUniWell universities in building more effective mental health and well-being ecosystems, where students and staff can thrive academically, professionally and personally. The project focuses on:
- Enhancing mental health literacy across university communities;
- Improving the accessibility and responsiveness of well-being support services to better address diverse student needs;
- Strengthening institutional capacity to prevent and respond effectively to mental health challenges;
- Promoting international cooperation, enabling universities to develop a shared approach to student and staff well-being.
From education to institutional change
To achieve these objectives, EMBRACE combines teaching, training and organisational transformation. Key activities include the development of tailored educational resources, such as:
- Teaching modules for academics and students, focusing on mental health awareness, prevention and self-care;
- A dedicated module for refugee, migrant and international students, addressing specific well-being needs linked to mobility, displacement and inclusion;
- The implementation of a mentoring scheme for doctoral students and early-career researchers, aimed at reducing isolation, stress and burnout while strengthening resilience and sustainable careers.
Alongside these educational actions, EMBRACE supports institutional change by:
- Equipping decision-makers with data-driven insights to refine and improve mental health support services;
- Developing a shared European framework for Mental Health Weeks on campus, fostering awareness, dialogue and collective engagement around well-being.
Open resources for lasting impact on academia and society
A central outcome of EMBRACE is the production of Open Educational Resources (OERs). Project deliverables will include open-access teaching and training modules, toolkits, practical guidelines and frameworks, policy recommendations and analytical reports to support decision-making. By making these resources freely available, EMBRACE aims to extend its impact beyond the partner institutions and contribute to wider innovation in mental health support in higher education.
A European collaboration for well-being
Embedded within the EUniWell Alliance, EMBRACE demonstrates the added value of Erasmus+ cooperation in addressing shared societal challenges through education, innovation and cross-border collaboration. EMBRACE also benefits from the support of its associated partners – the European University Foundation (EUF), the European Students’ Union (ESU) and ANIMAFAC – whose extensive networks play a key role in communicating about the project and disseminating its results across the student community.
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