The University of Gdańsk has officially joined the global FISU Healthy Campus community, becoming the first university in Poland to be certified and, at the same time, the most recent Polish institution to receive this international recognition.
With the successful validation of 55 Healthy Campus criteria, the University of Gdańsk has received the FISU Healthy Campus Bronze Certificate, confirming its strong and structural commitment to student wellbeing, physical activity, mental health, social responsibility, and sustainable campus development.
This certificate, attributed by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), highlights the University’s long-term strategy of integrating sport, physical activity, and well-being as core pillars of academic life.
“Receiving the certificate from the International University Sports Federation confirms that we are consistently building a university where sport, physical activity, and wellbeing are integral parts of our community’s development. It is particularly significant that we are obtaining this certificate at a time when the modern University of Gdańsk Sports Centre is under construction—an investment that will provide our students and staff with even better conditions for training, recreation, and integration,“said Professor Piotr Stepnowski, Rector of the University of Gdańsk.
The certification also reinforces the University’s international positioning and aligns with its broader objectives related to international cooperation, student engagement, and social responsibility.
“We are extremely proud to be the first university in Poland to receive the FISU Healthy Campus Certificate. For us, this distinction is not only recognition of daily work, but also strong motivation to continue developing physical education, university sport, social wellbeing, and the physical and mental health of our academic community,” emphasised Tomasz Aftański, Director of the Centre for Physical Education and Sport.
“By bringing this topic to the forefront, we strengthen our social responsibility and positively influence the habits of young people—future leaders of public life. Sport and physical activity are powerful platforms for self-development, work–life balance, and social integration.”
The University of Gdańsk, located in northern Poland, is one of the country’s leading public universities, with over 25,000 students and a strong academic reputation in fields such as oceanography, biotechnology, quantum physics, law, and economics. Established in 1970, the University plays a key role in the academic, cultural, and economic development of the Pomeranian region and has become increasingly recognised for its international engagement and research excellence.
Poland: a active and longstanding FISU partner
The University of Gdańsk’s achievement is part of a broader and long-lasting engagement of Poland with FISU and international university sport. Poland is widely recognised as one of the most active and committed countries in hosting and bidding for major FISU events.
Over the decades, Poland has hosted or bid for numerous flagship competitions, including:
- World University Games
Warsaw – 1924 - Winter Universiade
Zakopane – 1993, 2001 - World University Championships, hosted across multiple cities such as Warsaw, Wrocław, Gdańsk, Poznań, Kraków, Łódź, Bydgoszcz, Katowice, Legnica, Zakopane, Biała Podlaska, Jelenia Góra, and Gdańsk, spanning sports including handball, judo, rowing, badminton, futsal, karate, floorball, cheerleading, triathlon, and many others.
- FISU Conferences
9th FISU World Forum – Kraków, 2008
This extensive legacy underlines Poland’s strategic importance within the FISU family, not only as a host nation but also as a driver of innovation, participation, and institutional development in university sport.
The certification of the University of Gdańsk as the first Healthy Campus in Poland represents a new chapter in this strong relationship—connecting Poland’s rich event-hosting tradition with a forward-looking commitment to student wellbeing and sustainable university environments.
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