What is Healthy Campus?

We introduced the Healthy Campus programme in detail in a separate article, “The University of Ostrava Begins the Healthy Campus Certification Process”, where you can learn more about its principles, objectives, and benefits for the university community.

What has happened over the past year?

Since launching its Healthy Campus certification process in 2025, the University of Ostrava has implemented a range of health-promoting activities. In 2026, working groups were established with representatives from different parts of the university.

Together, they explore opportunities to further develop initiatives that support health and quality of life across the university and help advance the principles of Healthy Campus.

Key milestones include the first and second editions of the University of Ostrava Health Day, held on 29 October 2025 and 7 May 2026. The university also promotes an active lifestyle through events such as sports afternoons for staff, UO Sports Day, the traditional relay race “Běh o tenisku rektora“, and skiing with OU.

New Physical Activities for OU Staff

Promoting health is not limited to one-off events. For the 2026/2027 winter semester, the University of Ostrava has also introduced a range of regular physical activities for its staff, building on its long-term commitment to supporting a healthy lifestyle.

Participants can choose from a variety of activities led by qualified instructors, whether they wish to improve their fitness, counterbalance the effects of sedentary work, increase their daily physical activity, or simply enjoy active relaxation. The programme includes badminton, health-oriented exercise classes, fitness training with an instructor, indoor climbing, and basketball.

Registration is available through the booking system. Important: To access the activities, please register or log in using your staff email address (Name.Surname@osu.cz). Once logged in, you will find all activities under the “Healthy Campus” tab.

The new exercise classes further expand the range of activities that the University of Ostrava has long organised to promote a healthy lifestyle, including UO Sports Day, the traditional relay race and Active Summer at UO. Together, these initiatives contribute to creating an environment that supports health, an active lifestyle and the overall wellbeing of the university community.

Well-being Festival: Promoting Mental Health in Practice

A key part of this year’s programme will be the Well-being Festival, which will take place from 5 to 8 October 2026.

The festival will offer a series of talks, workshops, physical activities, and other events focused on promoting mental wellbeing, stress management, healthy habits, and self-care. The programme will also include peer support consultations and other forms of support available to members of the university community.

The festival provides a practical example of how the principles of Healthy Campus can be put into everyday practice. Through talks, workshops and peer consultations, it will offer staff and students an opportunity to focus on their mental health and overall wellbeing.

Further information and the Well-being Festival programme can be found here:

A Practical Guide to Work–Life Balance

However, promoting wellbeing is not just about organising events. Efforts to support health and quality of life across the university community also included a staff survey, the results of which informed the development of the Practical Guide to Work–Life Balance and helped shape further measures through which the University of Ostrava puts the principles of Healthy Campus into practice.

The guide was developed based on the experiences and needs of university staff and provides an overview of available measures, support options and practical information to help employees balance their work and personal lives.

What’s Next?

In the coming months, the University of Ostrava will continue its Healthy Campus certification journey while further expanding its range of preventive, physical activity and psychosocial initiatives.

An important part of this process will be the regular evaluation of feedback and experiences from staff and students to ensure that support for health and mental wellbeing becomes a natural part of university life.

Healthy Campus is not a one-off project but a long-term commitment to creating a university that supports health, mental wellbeing, and high-quality conditions for study and work.

Physical activities for staff, the Mental Wellbeing Festival, and the Practical Guide to Work–Life Balance demonstrate that support for wellbeing at the University of Ostrava is not just a vision for the future but is already being translated into real measures and activities for the university community.

If you have any ideas, suggestions, or feedback on how the University of Ostrava can further foster a healthier and more sustainable environment, please feel free to contact us at hcosu@osu.cz.