HSG honoured as a "Healthy Campus"

On Friday, 27 May 2022, the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) honoured 43 selected universities from five continents with the "Healthy Campus" certificate, including the University of St.Gallen (HSG). The President of HSG, Prof. Dr. Bernhard Ehrenzeller, sees the receipt of the label as a sign of recognition that the University of St.Gallen is committed to a holistic understanding of health.

30 May 2022. To be awarded the certificate, HSG was evaluated along fixed criteria from the areas of Healthy Campus Management, Sport, Nutrition, Prevention, Mental and Social Health, Risk Behaviour and Sustainability. The 100-criteria procedure shows universities in which areas of campus life they are advanced and where there is room for improvement. In this way, the label promotes healthy living and well-being among students.

President Bernhard Ehrenzeller and Daniel Studer, Head of University Sports, attended the festive ceremony in Brussels on behalf of HSG. Bernhard Ehrenzeller was impressed by the event and the label: "If you want to be future-oriented and internationally oriented, it is part of the job to compare, measure and network. With the findings and measures from this process, the University of St.Gallen can fulfil its role as a model for holistic health behaviour. Educating responsible individuals across the board is part of our responsibility."

The application for the "Healthy Campus" certificate has been running since spring 2021 under the auspices of the University Sports Department. Due to the breadth of topics, various HSG stakeholders were involved: The psychological counselling centre (OPSY-HSG), the student association "oikos", the Migros catering team, Human Resources, and others. The original goal was to receive the award at the 2021 Home Universiade in Lucerne. The HSG was recognised as a "Healthy Campus", however, but the Universiade and the award ceremony was cancelled due to the pandemic.

FISU and Swiss University Sports
The international university sports federation, the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU), has organised a large number of sporting events and projects worldwide since its foundation in 1949. The "World University Championships" and the "World University Games", also known as the "Universiade" and multi-sport event for top-student sports, are among the best-known major events. In addition to sporting events, FISU pursues projects and initiatives in various areas.

Swiss University Sports, Switzerland's university sports association, and Unisport St.Gallen have been active with FISU for years. The former head of Unisport, Leonz Eder, is FISU Acting President, and the current head of Unisport, Daniel Studer, has a seat on the FISU Education Committee.

Image: FISU / Presentation of the "Healthy Campus" certificate to the University of St.Gallen. From left to right: Daniel Studer, Head of University Sports, Bernhard Ehrenzeller, President of University of St.Gallen, Leonz Eder, FISU Acting President