The European University for Well-Being (EUniWell) was established with the goal to build a European University that embeds the theme of Well-Being in order to: leverage our shared academic excellence for teaching, research and innovation; transform our institutions; support our staff and students; increase diversity; disseminate our findings to a broad range of stakeholders; and improve Well-Being for the individual, society and the planet. Since its launch in 2020, EUniWell has grown to eleven member institutions with a shared Mission centered on well-being. EUniWell 2030: Strategy Framework and Strategy Questions has been endorsed by our member institutions and lays out our ambitions to:
1. Become a/the Voice for Well-Being
2. Become a European University
3. Become Communities for Well-Being.
The EUniWell #Research project, supported through the Horizon 2020 SwafS programme, has established a collaborative research ecosystem for the Alliance. Through this project, EUniWell piloted well-being focused activities that will be integrated into and sustained across the Alliance, and can provide a model for the European Research Area (ERA).
The #Research project had four key objectives:
1. To create the conditions for a EUniWell Alliance-wide research strategy in alignment with SDGs and Smart Specialization Strategies. EUniWell will strengthen collaborative, well-being focused research.
2. To accelerate the digital transformation. EUniWell will enable research collaboration and human interaction while (1) promoting various formats of human well-being that are available to enhance creative and innovative research, and (2) advancing a holistic digitalisation and data approach that entails human-centred technological, legal, ethical and social developments.
3. To develop a culture of Open Science where sharing, not owning, is the default mode of operation. EUniWell will promote FAIR data, data sharing and transparency within the Alliance. It will make data results available and accessible for researchers. The Alliance will establish actions that enable scientific knowledge to penetrate society, economy and policy.
4. To empower researchers to respond to rapid changes in the digital transformation, society and academia. EUniWell will equip researchers with the well-being focused skill sets necessary in academia and beyond. It will develop well-being-led research evaluation and measures of success as alternatives to traditional metrics. EUniWell will focus on (1) early career researchers and (2) advanced researchers assuming leadership roles.