The “Healthy University” initiative has been promoting the health of the members of Paderborn University for 30 years. Launched in 1996 as a student project with the involvement of the university management and the General Students’ Committee (AStA), it grew out of the “Healthy University” working group. Since then, the team has organised countless initiatives on offer for students and staff. “We are proud that the ‘Gesunde Hochschule’ has become firmly established in many areas of our university. We place great importance on promoting health. The programmes are tailored to the needs of the members of the university community. We intend to continue this approach in the future,” emphasises Simone Probst, Vice-President for Finances and Human Resources.
Alongside topics such as exercise, nutrition and relaxation, mental health has increasingly come into focus. For example, to be able to provide a form of first aid directly on campus, students and teaching staff can train to become mental health first aiders. The aim is to recognise signs at an early stage and arrange support. For staff, there are university-based contact persons who also work on a voluntary basis. They act as a first point of contact and offer support in cases of mental health distress.
Services on offer for all members of the university
The ‘Healthy University’ initiative focuses primarily on prevention. Services such as health checks, University Sports and workplace ergonomics advice are on offer. A sense of community is fostered through initiatives such as taking part in the ‘Stadtradeln’ cycling campaign in Paderborn. In addition, the team regularly organises themed days on various topics. “We are delighted that the services on offer are well received by students and staff alike. Health is an important issue and fosters dialogue on a level that concerns us all and brings us together,” explains Sandra Bischof, who has been coordinating health management at the university for over 20 years.
The ‘Gesunde Hochschule’ (Healthy University) is part of a Germany-wide network and received the ‘Corporate Health Award’ in 2019 for exemplary workplace health management. There is also a partnership with the Techniker Krankenkasse health insurance provider, which provides support for events and health checks.
This year, the staff and student health management programmes were merged into a single university-wide health management programme to enable even closer collaboration. In future, this programme is set to be further developed and will help to holistically develop new ideas across multiple levels.
Anniversary celebrations with an ‘Office Olympics’
To mark the anniversary, the Healthy University organised the first Office Olympics on the Paderborn University campus. Staff and students competed against each other in 15 teams and took part in various challenges: from canteen tray table tennis to the file-throwing competition. The top three teams were rewarded with university merchandise in the form of hoodies, sports bags and T-shirts.
This text was translated automatically.
