HEA welcomes delegates to the 2025 international health promoting campuses conference
By Maura O'Shea
Posted: 17 June, 2025
Ireland will this week host over 400 international delegates for the International Health Promoting Campuses Conference which starts today (Tuesday, June 17) at the University of Limerick.
Supported by the Higher Education Authority, the international conference also marks a significant milestone in the work of Ireland – through the HEA – to position the country as a global leader in promoting health and wellbeing across education.
The Conference will mark the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Okanagan Charter: An International Charter for Health Promoting Universities and Colleges and 20 years since the Edmonton Charter in 2005.
The Conference will host international and national leaders in higher education from countries such as the US, Canada, South Africa, Singapore, Australia, Turkey, Ireland and many more.
International agencies, including representatives from the World Health Organisation, UNESCO and the International Union for Health Promotion and Education, will also form part of the programme.
HEA Chief Executive, Dr Alan Wall, said the hosting of the International Health Promoting Conference in Ireland at the University of Limerick – in collaboration with Atlantic Technological University, is a huge achievement.
“The HEA is proud to support the event, in recognition and celebration of the work achieved across Irish institutions. Since 2022, the HEA has been committed to progressing student and staff health and wellbeing and the timing of the conference builds on national and international momentum behind this important agenda,” he said.
The HEA’s Head of Policy, Strategic Planning and System Development, Tim Conlon, said the HEA has placed Ireland at the forefront of the international health promoting campuses movement.
“The 2025 Conference offers us an opportunity to showcase the impressive work being undertaken by Irish higher education institutions to support health and wellbeing on our college campuses. Health and wellbeing is inextricably linked to the success of our students and the HEA is committed to driving this agenda across the sector,” he said.
HEA National Healthy Campus Coordinator, Caroline Mahon, said Ireland is the only country to have a government-led health promotion policy for higher education and this conference is a time to celebrate the collective efforts of the Healthy Campus Network.
“It is important to acknowledge the months of hard work and dedication shown by both the local organising committee and our international colleagues to bring us to this point. We are excited to see where a renewed International Health Promoting Campus commitment will lead us next to,” she said.
Ireland joined the International Health Promoting Campuses Network in 2023 and in the same year was awarded the hosting of the conference, on behalf of the International Health Promoting Campus Network, by the University of Limerick and Atlantic Technological University, supported the HEA.
Some milestones in relation to health and wellbeing through the HEA include the development of national strategy for student mental health and suicide prevention, leading the roll-out of the Healthy Campus Charter and Framework, a Healthy Campus Network, the development of a Healthy Campus Self-Evaluation Tool and an open course designed to support staff and students embedding health promotion into all aspects of campus life and is accessible to those across the global movement.
The Conference is leading a global consultation process on Charter renewal, developing a renewed commitment and momentum to the next decade of the international health promoting campus movement.
The Charter Renewal process has been led by the University of Limerick in partnership with International Health Promoting Campuses Network (IHPCN) and aligned with; the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
This includes an international survey with over 400 participants in 45 countries, 27 interviews and 11 student focus groups, all with key international stakeholders working in student and staff health and wellbeing.
Two emerging themes across the four days will include Sustainable and Egalitarian universities. Collaboration, innovation and evaluation of health promotion across higher education will also inform presentations and discussions.
ENDS
