On October 1, Anna Vasylieva, Head of the Mental Health Education and Research Center at PSMU, took part in the IAU SDG3 Cluster Webinar: "Addressing Mental Health and Wellbeing in Universities" on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, organized by the International Association of Universities Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 Cluster and led by the eHealth Center of the Open University of Catalonia. The IAU SDG3 Health and Wellbeing Cluster is an open network of seven higher education institutions on five continents, including the University of Western Sydney in Australia, Makerere University in Uganda, Universidad de Caldas in Colombia, Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia, Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, University College Dublin in Ireland, and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) in Spain. Led by the Center for eHealth of the Open University of Catalonia in Barcelona and part of the Global Cluster on Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD) organized by the International Association of Universities, it supports higher education and promotes an integrated approach to health, supporting the principles of equity and well-being worldwide in line with the UN's 2030 Agenda. The webinar is dedicated to discussing the current topic of the day - supporting the mental health of staff and students, which is an important priority for the member universities of the International Association of Universities. The Future of Higher Education offers a dynamic platform for the higher education community to exchange views and perspectives on current issues affecting higher education. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, especially among young people. This reality has made the effective identification of mental health issues and the creation of supportive environments for emotional well-being a top priority for universities. Pam Fredman, board member and former president of the International Association of Universities, delivered the opening remarks at the webinar. Speakers included Steve Lee, Head of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Group at the University of Western Sydney; Ellen Brackenregh, Executive Director of Equity, Diversity, Safety and Wellbeing at the University of Western Sydney; Galuh Suriyandari, PhD in Medical Education at Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia; Joy Louise Gumikiriza-Onoria, Lecturer, Clinical Psychologist and PhD at the College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Uganda, and closing remarks were made by Marta Eimerich, Director of the Center for eHealth, Open University of Catalonia.

During the session, experts from higher education interacted with participants, discussing current issues and solutions that the sector can offer to build a more just, sustainable and democratic society. Discussions covered innovations, best practices, current challenges and future plans in this area.