Research shows that ecological thinking and nature‐based recreation significantly impact higher education students’ mental health and well‐being. Specifically, spending time in nature and engaging in related activities have been found to reduce stress, improve concentration, and enhance overall quality of life. However, in recent years, there has been a noticeable disconnection from nature among higher education students, which could adversely affect their mental health and well‐being, potentially leading to psychological disorders and emotional distress. Therefore, it is imperative to actively seek solutions to integrate natural and ecological thinking into the study process.

This co‐funded project by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union is a collaborative partnership between the Cyprus University of Technology in Cyprus, the Forest Therapy Hub in Portugal, Riga Stradiņš University in Latvia, and the University of Maribor in Slovenia. The initiative aims to build digital and green capabilities for promoting interconnected higher education systems.

These efforts include developing and incorporating innovative EcoMind‐based solutions to address the mental well‐being of higher education students and increase their awareness of sustainability. The GreenTouch digital tool and the EcoMind practice e‐course will be developed and tested with the involvement of more than 2000 higher education students, academic and non‐academic staff, and other stakeholders.

CUT and the BSiH lab is contributing to the co-creation of the digital tool and e-course and leading the research aspects of the project including the quantitative and qualitative data analyses.