‘Designing a happier student life for better learning’ is an internationally focused project on how to ‘design’ a better student life, increase student well-being and thus create optimal conditions for better learning. The project draws on the knowledge and experience of prominent US universities working on the well-being agenda and leading experts in the field.

A growing body of evidence shows that student well-being is essential to education and student success. Knowing how student mental health is a key parameter to academic and personal success in education, it is disturbing to see the increasing evidence of the opposite: in a recent national survey of Danish students, 48% reported feeling stressed, and 22-26% felt lonely.

The project ‘Designing a happier student life for better learning’ is about working systematically on improving mental health and building strong and healthy minds that can develop and be resilient. This Outlook report is a part of the project, managed by Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK) in Silicon Valley and Boston and the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, where ICDK Silicon Valley and Boston have brought in international perspective and inspiration from US research, initiatives and key experts.

This Outlook report focuses on the improvement of well-being and health promoting initiatives among students. It reflects initiatives focused on the sources to achieve well-being and enhance students’ resources of coping and resistance. Furthermore, it presents best practices from prominent American universities, structured by themes, and offers suggestions on how to translate and contextualize these practices into the Danish perspective. The report entails Danish practices and present takeaways to Danish audiences on improvement of well-being and health promoting initiatives.

"Many college seniors report the transition to an independent and self-sufficient life to be anxiety-provoking and overwhelming"

Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research

University of Massachusetts