The well-being and psychological balance of individuals from all corners of the world are crucial pillars for successful living and personal and academic advancement. Every university should participate in preventive programmes that focus on harmonizing personal and academic life. Palacký University Olomouc (UP), with its esteemed faculty departments and the rectorate, is no exception.
The Welcome Office (WO) at UP also contributes by establishing a series of workshops aimed at providing international students and employees with strategies to successfully navigate challenging times, such as exam periods and other difficult situations.
"We have conducted nine comprehensive workshops with our colleagues and respected authorities in their fields, both from within and beyond the university. These workshops are focused on successful learning strategies, adapting to our curricular systems, and techniques for mental harmony and well-being," said Alena Vyskočilová, the current director of the WO.
You can check out the latest video of the "Welcome to Well-being: A Journey to Your Mental Harmony" pilot programme here.
In total, more than 140 international students and employees participated in this series, titled "Welcome to Well-being: A Journey to Your Mental Harmony." The outcomes of this pilot programme were presented to members of other national and international universities on June 17th at the internationalization conference organized by the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies of Charles University (CU).
Among many renowned experts and keynote speakers, the current rector of CU, Professor Milena Králičková, and the vice-rector for foreign affairs of CU, Professor Eva Voldřichová Beránková, delivered speeches addressing the need for international collaboration and the development of strategies for internationalisation at CU and other higher education institutions (HEIs).
"We have successfully exchanged experiences and knowledge from the preventive pilot programmes and transformed these ideas into further strategies for internationalisation at HEIs to ensure comprehensive and effective support for these communities," said Pavel Flekač, a member of the WO.
Photos from the individual workshops can be viewed here.
This initiative has led to increased international collaboration. Jan Brzobohatý, a WO member, attended a five-day intensive programme in France on "International Students’ Well-being and Mental Health," organized by the University of Lille. He shared experiences and insights from the WO project, which was well-received by international partners.
During the programme, Brzobohatý attended lectures on various aspects of well-being and learned about the "bridge strategy" for supporting foreign students. Key presentations included the Night line project, offering telephone consultations for psychological issues in multiple countries. The programme also featured workshops on sophrology and heartfulness, led by Jean-Marc Skalecki and Jean-Claude Mauclaire, demonstrating techniques that combine physical and mental exercises to improve mental well-being.
Alena Vyskočilová also expressed her gratitude: "We would like to thank all the lecturers and parties interested in furthering support for the international community at our university. As the cultures of other nations are often quite different, it is always necessary to be flexible and provide up-to-date support that reflects current phenomena. We are already working on additional supportive series that we believe will attract even more international participants."
