There may be times when you feel low, lonely or are facing strenuous situations. Many of you may be experiencing stress and pressure to perform, thereby affecting your academic performance. Some of you have people around you facing these issues and would like to help, but don't know how.

Stress has become part of students' academic life, irrespective of country, nationality, or culture. If you feel overwhelmed by stress, you are not alone. Being open to mental health can help to break down any stigma surrounding it. This is the first step towards coming to terms with your feelings. Don't suffer in silence, come OpenUP!

This symposium has the objective to encourage you and your peers to open up and share your experiences and talk about student wellbeing. While many of this kind of events are based on providing solutions, we aim to encourage and facilitate you to take control of your mental wellbeing by breaking the silence, talking and listening to others. 

Programme (15:00 - 20.00)
- The event will be opened by Hester Bijl, our vice rector magnificus.
- Bas Haring, science philosopher at Leiden University, will share his wisdom on the meaning of (student)life. 
- You will also meet Sanne Kooiman, co-founder of Foundation Scherp, whose mission and vision is to help reduce psychological problems among the younger generation by encouraging them to support each other and to speak up about mental health. They have created and produced a number of documentaries, each dealing with a different mental health theme. During this symposium we will be showcasing one of their documentaries, which will be followed by an interactive session.
- At the end of the symposium there will be free soup and bread for everyone!

Registration
We hope to see you on February 27 in Wijnhaven! Seats are limited, but there is enough space for a large group of students in room 2.02. Ensure your spot now and register here: http://bit.ly/OpenUP2020

Best regards,

Study Advisers & Coordinators of Study of the Faculty of Humanities, the Faculty of Social Science, the Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs at Campus The Hague.