On the afternoon of 30th October 2025, Royal University of Phnom Penh successfully organized the MentalHigh National Conference on “Promoting Student Mental Health Through Innovation and Institutional Change” within the framework of the MentalHigh Project, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union for the period 2023-2026.
The conference was organized in a hybrid format, with the participation of 163 delegates (26 in person and 137 online) from partner universities in Europe and Southeast Asia, including: Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany – coordinator), Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland), Jaume I University (Spain), 02 Cambodian partners (Royal University of Phnom Penh, National Institute of Education), and 05 Vietnamese partners (Thai Nguyen University of Economics and Business Administration, University of Education – VNU, University of Social Sciences and Humanities – VNU-HCM, Vinh University of Technology Education, Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry).
In particular, the conference also had the participation of university managers, lecturers, staffs, experts in the field of psychology – mental health and students from many universities, high schools across the country, demonstrating the deep interest and commitment of the Cambodia academic community in improving the capacity of mental health care in higher education.
The national conference was organized to create an international academic forum to exchange experiences, share research results and introduce typical mental health support products within the framework of the MentalHigh Project. This is a meaningful activity, contributing to raising awareness, completing support mechanisms and developing mental health capacity for lecturers, staff and students in higher education institutions.
In addition, the national conference aims to promote cooperation in research, teaching and implementation of digital technology application initiatives in mental health care, while spreading the message of a happy, humane and sustainable academic environment in the Southeast Asian.
In the opening remake, Assist Prof. Kean Tak, Vice rector of Royal University of Phnom Penh emphasized that on behalf of the Rector and the management team of the Royal University of Phnom Penh, it is his honor and heartfelt pleasure to welcome participants to this National Conference on student mental health under the MentalHigh Project.
Today we gather with a shared purpose: to ensure that every student in Cambodia – and across our region – can learn, grow, and thrive in environments that are safe, supportive, and human-centered. This is not a small ambition; it is a profound commitment to the dignity and potential of our young people.
Mental health is not just an academic issue – it is a foundation for life. When students feel understood and supported, they learn better, build stronger relationships, and contribute more confidently to their communities and to the nation. And when institutions stand together—universities, ministries, partners from Vietnam, Spain, Finland, and Germany—we build a common ecosystem of care, competence, and innovation.
RUPP is proud to be part of this international consortium and to contribute meaningfully through both digital and institutional solutions. With the Shining Mind mobile app and the MoodCare online course, students can access reliable mental health information and practical tools anytime, anywhere. With our Mental Health Events Calendar and capacity-building for management, staff, and student leaders, we are turning awareness into action – policy into practice, ideas into impact.
But technology alone is not enough. We must nurture a campus culture where stigma has no place, where a student who struggles is met with empathy, where a lecturer who notices is equipped to respond, and where pathways to support are clear, accessible, and timely. This is the heart of our vision: a compassionate, inclusive, resilient university.
Prof. Dr. Gunter Groen, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (Germany), gave an overview of the MentalHigh Project and its goals of developing mental health care capacity in higher education.
Dr. Astrid Jörns-Presentati, project co-coordinator, presented the report “Embedding Mental Health in University Policy: The StepChange Framework in Practice”.
Prof. Dr. Azucena García Palacios, Jaume I University (Spain), introduced the MoodCare digital platform to support mental health for students.
Prof. Dr. Khann Sareth, Department of Psychology, Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), presented the Shining Mind application – a smartphone application that gives students access to valid mental health information.
Dr. Phoeun Bunna is Deputy Chief at MoEYS Cambodia and a clinical psychologist and researcher in digital and community mental health, presented the Digital Mental Health in Practice: Perceptions, Outcomes, and Gaps
At the end of the program, delegates took group photos, affirming their commitment to accompany and spread the values of the MentalHigh Project – for a happy, humane and sustainable study environment.
