The University of Milano-Bicocca has been awarded the ‘Healthy campus - Gold’ certificate by the International University Sports Federation (FISU).
Launched in May 2020, FISU’s program is a certification process for universities that are committed to promoting every aspect of health and wellness. Four categories of awards were presented: bronze, silver, gold and platinum.
Of the 94 participating universities around the world and 43 recognized as ‘Healthy campuses’, Milano-Bicocca is the first Italian university to achieve gold certification.
Universities are evaluated by a panel of international experts based on 100 criteria covering seven areas: sports and physical activity; nutrition; disease prevention; mental and social health; risk behaviours; environment, sustainability and social responsibility; and healthy campus management.
89 criteria were positively evaluated to allow Milano-Bicocca to obtain the prestigious award. The criteria take into account activities, initiatives and policies that universities put in place to promote the all-round well-being of their communities. Milano-Bicocca’s initiatives include: the ‘Dual career’ programme, launched this academic year, which provides a series of benefits and services to balance competitive commitments and university studies; the provision of a multi-purpose sports centre, the Bicocca stadium, with its ‘hi-tech’ athletics track, sports field constructed from recycled materials, tennis courts and many other services; and the organisation of ‘CorriBicocca’, the inclusive, barrier-free running event that has livened up the streets of the district for four years.
These initiatives are not limited to sport. Numerous steps have been taken by Milano-Bicocca to improve the lifestyles of its community and the livability of the campus in a sustainable and inclusive manner, two of which have been recognised by FISU as ‘Best practices’.
The first is the ‘So good’ nutrition programme, which has involved the reorganisation of university catering to positively influence students’ and workers’ eating habits and to promote healthy lifestyles, improving study and work performance. The second practice that was deemed exemplary by FISU relates to the gender equality policies adopted by the university and, in particular, the use of sport as a tool to promote and enhance women’s inclusion and participation.
The award ceremony was held on Friday 27 May at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). The award for Milano-Bicocca was accepted by Professor Lucia Visconti Parisio, the rector’s delegate for university sport: “I am very proud that Bicocca shares a sustainable development path with other internationally outstanding universities. This project gave us an opportunity to bring together and highlight the many initiatives we carry out at the university, to ensure their continuity and to develop new practices. Meeting the 100 criteria in the programme helps us to ensure a learning and working environment in which every single aspect is designed with health and well-being in mind for our community.” [Download photos].
“A holistic approach to the well-being of people and the environment is one of the principles that inspires all of Milano-Bicocca’s policies and initiatives,” commented Giovanna Iannantuoni, rector of the University. “This is why FISU’s international ‘Healthy campus’ recognition is a source of pride and satisfaction for the entire community that I am privileged to lead and that strives everyday to promote and adopt sustainable and inclusive behaviours.”