School Ambassador Campus in Florence: empowering student voices for well-being

Turning a campus into a podcast studio

From 10 to 12 November 2025, the School Ambassadors from EUniWell member universities in Spain, France, Hungary, Sweden and Germany met in Florence to develop new episodes of EUniCast. The podcast focuses on topics surrounding student well-being, academic experiences, and personal growth within the framework of EUniWell.

In facilitated sessions, participants exchanged experiences from their higher education systems and discussed which factors most strongly shape their daily lives at university, for better or worse. The atmosphere was marked by openness, curiosity and a shared desire to learn from one another across national borders.​

Six themes for better student life

An extensive brainstorming phase led to six core themes for the new podcast episodes: accessibility in higher education, imposter syndrome, physical health and lifestyle, digital and environmental well-being, creativity and expression, and community engagement through volunteering. These focus areas reflect facets of student life that resonate across countries and cultures, highlighting both shared challenges and collective aspirations for improvement.​

Each topic was developed by mixed international teams who drafted guiding questions, recording concepts and personal reflections. Their aim was not only to name challenges, but also to share strategies and promising practices that might support other students in their everyday lives.​

Digital detox and self-doubt: when well-being gets personal

Two episodes placed particular emphasis on the emotional realities of student life. In “Digital Detox: Logging Off to Tune In”, students explored the increasingly complex relationship that students maintain with technology. They discussed the challenge of constant connectivity, the difficulty of establishing clear boundaries between academic responsibilities and rest, and the pressure many students feel to remain perpetually available. They also reflected on how students might reclaim their time, attention, and sense of presence in a digital environment that often feels all-encompassing. 

The episode “Am I Really Good Enough? Rethinking Success and Self-Worth” focused on a topic that resonates deeply with many students: imposter syndrome. The conversation addressed how quickly self-doubt can emerge, how strongly social comparison shapes academic experiences, and how rarely students pause to recognise their own growth The discussion created a space for sincerity and vulnerability, and offered an encouraging reminder that success encompasses far more than grades and professional milestones.

Learning by listening: connection across borders

For many participants, the recording sessions stood out as moments of trust and genuine connection. Students from different countries and disciplines realised how many of their challenges are shared and how valuable it can be to speak openly about pressure, expectations and hopes. Every conversation demonstrated the value of open dialogue and peer support, as students spoke candidly about their own experiences and the lessons learned throughout their studies.

This workshop was a reminder that well-being in higher education extends far beyond academic success. It encompasses inclusion, personal growth, creativity, and community. Each EUniCast episode reflects this holistic understanding, aiming to inform, inspire, and support students navigating their own university journeys. In this way, a few days in Florence become a lasting impulse to make student voices more audible in the European Higher Education Area.

The new EUniCast episodes will be released in the coming months and are intended to inspire students across EUniWell to reflect on and share their own experiences.​ Tune in here: https://open.spotify.com/show/184Iwc1g3xAeEi5kPkcGBB 

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