BSPU joins the European Mental Health Week: stronger together for supporting the academic community

As part of the European Mental Health Week 2026, held this year under the theme “Stronger Together: Prioritising Mental Health in a Changing Europe,” Berdyansk State Pedagogical University highlights the importance of mental health, well-being, and support within academic communities.

Europe today is undergoing profound changes driven by war, forced migration, social uncertainty, digital transformation, and increasing pressure on educational and research institutions. In this context, mental health is no longer only a personal matter but a shared responsibility of universities, research communities, and international partnerships.

For Ukrainian universities, this issue is particularly significant. The full-scale war, displacement, the loss of familiar academic environments, uncertainty, and ongoing challenges affect the well-being of students, faculty, and researchers. In such a context, supporting mental health is not an optional addition – it is a necessary condition for academic resilience, the preservation of human potential, and a dignified professional life.

That is why it is important for BSPU to be part of the international project ReACT – an initiative aimed at supporting researchers’ mental health and fostering a healthier academic culture.

This year’s theme, “Stronger Together,” means that care, support, and solidarity within academia should not be limited by national or institutional borders. Researchers’ mental health is a shared challenge for universities across countries, even though contexts may differ significantly. Being stronger together means creating spaces of mutual understanding, sharing experiences, and developing practical support tools that help academic communities remain humane, resilient, and open to change.

BSPU’s participation in the ReACT project is an important contribution to this European dialogue. It demonstrates that the Ukrainian experience not only requires international support but can also offer valuable insights for rethinking academic well-being, solidarity, and institutional responsibility in a changing Europe.

We are also pleased to announce that the online ReACT programme will be presented this week at the EARMA 2026 Conference. This will provide an important opportunity to introduce the project to a broader community of researchers, research managers, and representatives of academic institutions.

We invite the academic community to explore the ReACT project and learn more about its goals, approaches, and opportunities for participation on the official website: https://researchersact.eu/

Mental health in academia is a shared responsibility. Through cooperation, care, and solidarity, we become stronger together in a changing Europe.

Based on materials by Natalia Tsybuliak and Anastasiia Popova

This material was prepared within the framework of the ReACT project (Researchers’ act: training for psychological flexibility and work-related stress management), co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme (KA220-HED). The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union or the National Agency.