Universiteit Leiden

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‘Hacking for Well-Being’

The European University for Well-Being is organising a hackathon from 14 to 21 September to generate concrete proposals for this virtual university and to create a EUniWell identity. Leiden students and staff are welcome to take part.

The University for Well-Being (EUniWell) was founded by seven European universities, including Leiden University, following an appeal by the Council of Ministers of the EU in 2019 (see box). The seven formed an alliance to promote the wellbeing of individual communities and society as a whole. To arrive at concrete proposals for the university, EUniwell is organising a digital hackathon for students and staff from 14 to 21 September. This will be the first in a series of activities.  

Creating the EUniWell identity

The aim of the first Hacking for Well-Being is to generate ideas for a shared EUniWell identity; the partners believe it is important that students, researchers, teachers and staff from the seven countries contribute from a shared – still to be developed – identity. This is particularly important at the present time, when they have to rely on digital contact and blended learning. The pandemic and the climate crisis show that there is a need for new ways of achieving wellbeing at all levels – individual, societal and global.

The establishment of a European University of Well-Being – EUniWellarose in response to the call, in 2019, by the European Council of Ministers to the member states to arrive at a ‘horizontal, cross-sector approach’, based on knowledge, to promote the ‘economy of wellbeing’.  Seven universities joined the collaboration: besides Leiden University, these are the universities of Birmingham, Cologne, Florence, Linnaeus, Nantes and Budapest (Semmelweis). Last year, EUniWell received a subsidy from the EU for its further development. One stipulation is that students must have an express role in EUniWell.

EUniWell received an EU grant in July 2020, .

Four themes

The hackathon will focus on four themes:

 1. EUniWell Community
What can we do to develop a joint EUniWell identity, despite being a consortium of seven regional and culturally diverse universities?

2. Inclusion vs. Bias
As a European University, we are committed to European values, but we also want to show our cultural wealth and diversity and prevent falling to our cultural biases. How can we develop an inclusive environment in all 7 EUniWell partner universities, in the face of cultural biases?

3. Digital Teaching
To enable access to courses from all our seven partner universities, the teaching will be given in hybrid/blended forms. What should a master’s programme with a mix of digital/off-site and physical/on-site lectures look like?

4. Students Centre Stage
Students’ interests are at the core of our EUniWell alliance. What could be ways and means to facilitate and spread student participation and commitment throughout the alliance?

General programme and registration

The hackathon will start on 14 September 2020 with a workshop for small groups, from 9.00 to 13.00 hrs. On the subsequent days the groups will work together to develop concrete proposals for the four themes. They will present their results on 21 September 2020 at a moderated event, from 9.00 to 13.00 hrs. The projects to be implemented will then be chosen.

Registration for the hackathon is open until 6 September 2020.
More information and registration

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