On 10 June 2026, the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava hosted an information conference dedicated to the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master programme FLOURISH – Resilience in Educational Contexts. The event took place in the George Văideanu Amphitheatre and brought together programme coordinators, university staff, students, school counsellors, representatives of partner organisations, and members of the educational community interested in resilience, wellbeing, and inclusive education.
During the conference, the programme was presented by Professor Carmel Cefai, Programme Director from the University of Malta; Professor Anastassios Matsopoulos, Programme Coordinator from the University of Crete; Professor Celeste Simões, Programme Coordinator
from the University of Lisbon; and Associate Professor Aurora Adina Colomeischi, Programme Coordinator at Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava. Their contributions highlighted the structure, objectives, international mobility pathways, and professional opportunities offered by the programme.
A dedicated presentation on flourishing, resilience, and self-compassion, delivered by Dr Petruța Paraschiva Rusu, emphasised the importance of personal and relational resources for wellbeing and adaptive functioning. Students from the third FLOURISH cohort also shared their lived experiences, offering an authentic perspective on international study, mobility, academic development, and professional growth within the programme. An important part of the conference focused on collaboration with local educational and community partners. Manuela Luca, vocational counsellor at the Bucovina Institute Association, and Adrian Marmeliuc, school counsellor at School No. 1 Suceava, illustrated how resilience education can be promoted through counselling, school-based projects, classroom activities, parental support, and community engagement. The presentation of the students’ practical placement showed their progressive involvement in observing counselling activities, supporting classroom interventions, working with children from preschool to lower-secondary education, and eventually designing and delivering their own activities in English.
The conference demonstrated that FLOURISH is more than an academic programme: it is an
international learning community that connects research, professional practice, mobility, and community partnerships. By bringing together universities, schools, counsellors, students, and civil society organisations, FLOURISH contributes to the development of educational environments in which resilience, inclusion, self-compassion, and wellbeing become central components of children’s and young people’s development.
