New Zealand Universities Explore FISU Healthy Campus Programme

Yesterday, representatives from five New Zealand universities came together in Auckland to participate in a FISU Healthy Campus workshop, facilitated by FISU Executive Committee Member Martin Doulton. Attendees included staff from AUT, the University of Auckland, Lincoln University, University of Waikato, and Victoria University of Wellington, as well as University and Tertiary Sport New Zealand (UTSNZ).

The group convened ahead of the ANZSSA Conference (Australian and New Zealand Student Services Association Conference), an international forum for advancing best practice in student experience, wellbeing, and success.

The FISU Healthy Campus Programme, developed by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), aims to enhance health and wellbeing across higher education institutions worldwide. The programme provides a structured, evidence-based framework that spans seven domains: Healthy Campus Management, Physical Activity and Sport, Nutrition, Disease Prevention, Mental and Social health, Risk Behaviour, and Environment, Sustainability & Social Responsibility.

Participating universities complete a two-year certification process and are recognised with international label status (Certified to Platinum) based on their achievement across more than 100 wellbeing-related criteria. The initiative is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2030), WHO’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity, and UNESCO’s Kazan Action Plan, all of which promote the role of education in creating a healthier, more sustainable world.

As FISU’s recognised member organisation in New Zealand, UTSNZ plays a key role in ensuring that all New Zealand universities have the opportunity to engage with the Healthy Campus framework.

UTSNZ Executive Director Sarah Anderson said the programme strongly aligns with the sector’s direction and values:

“While UTSNZ’s focus is primarily on the Physical Activity and Sport criteria, there is considerable overlap across many of the Healthy Campus domains - all of which contribute to our shared goal of healthier campuses and better experiences for students. Having a framework that encourages collaboration between different university departments - sport, health, sustainability, and student services, ensures we are all working towards a unified goal. That’s a powerful foundation for change.”

For New Zealand universities, the Healthy Campus model offers a multidisciplinary and globally connected approach to wellbeing, one that supports institutional strategies around student success, sustainability, and community engagement.

With the ANZSSA Conference providing an immediate opportunity to continue discussions on wellbeing, the workshop marked an exciting step toward national collaboration on healthier, more active campus communities, and the start of New Zealand’s formal participation in the global FISU Healthy Campus network, which already includes more than 180 universities worldwide.