Sustainability in Practice: TBU to Offer Healthy Food, First Aid and Mental Wellbeing Activities at ESDW Festival
21. September 2026How can we live more sustainably, take care of our health and be prepared for crisis situations at the same time? This year’s ESDW Festival at Tomas Bata University in Zlín will offer answers to these questions and more. From 21 to 25 September 2026, students, university employees and members of the general public can look forward to five days of lectures, workshops, practical demonstrations and activities focused on sustainable living. This year’s main theme is Education and Awareness for Sustainability. For the first time, selected lectures will also be shared between several universities across the Czech Republic.
Over the course of one week, the ESDW Festival will connect environmental, economic and social issues with everyday life. Visitors can look forward to clothing and household-item SWAPs, tastings of local organic products, workshops on healthy lifestyles and mental wellbeing, as well as interactive first-aid training and activities focused on personal safety.
“We see sustainability as a natural part of university life. It is not only about protecting the environment, but also about creating an environment where people can live, work and study well. The ESDW Festival brings students, employees and the public together and shows that sustainability can take very practical forms – from responsible use of goods and food to taking care of our own health and mental wellbeing,” says Martina Juříková, TBU Vice-Rector for Internal and External Relations.
From the circular economy to mental resilience
The festival programme is divided into five themed days. All events will take place at the TBU Rectorate building.
Monday, 21 September will focus on the festival opening and the circular economy. “Throughout the week, SWAPs will be held in the Rectorate building, giving visitors the opportunity to exchange clothes, houseplants and household and kitchen items. They can give unwanted things a new lease of life while taking home something they can make use of themselves. This year, you can also donate your old or damaged footwear. Your discarded shoes will then serve as research material for our research team’s analyses and testing,” explains TBU spokesperson Petra Svěráková.
Tuesday, 22 September will focus on food and local produce. In cooperation with the TBU Faculty of Technology and Rudimov Organic Farm, visitors will be able to sample local organic products. The programme will also include information on Fair Trade and a lecture on healthy nutrition and hormonal health.
Wednesday, 23 September will focus on caring for both body and mind. Lecturers from Movement Office have prepared a healthy lifestyle and ergonomics workshop entitled Every Day Matters. The programme will also include swimming for employees, wellbeing workshops and the Zašívárna creative workshop at ROBOTA, where participants will learn how to repair and alter clothing. The programme will also feature TBU BOTT-E, an interactive robot from the laboratory of the Faculty of Applied Informatics.
Thursday, 24 September will be dedicated to health and safety. “The TBU Faculty of Humanities, in cooperation with the První pomoc Nanečisto project, has prepared practical first-aid demonstrations using simulators and immersive emergency simulations. Participants will have the opportunity to practise how to respond in situations where someone’s health or life may be at risk. The programme will also include a personal safety lecture entitled Be Your Own Bodyguard and a running course,” says Petra Svěráková.
Friday, 25 September will bring the festival to a close with a focus on mental resilience and recovery. The final day will offer a workshop for students focusing on psychological resilience, mindfulness, stress management and overall recovery.
This year’s festival also strengthens TBU’s cooperation with other Czech universities. Selected lectures will be shared between universities, allowing students and employees of other higher education institutions to engage with sustainability-related topics as well. Most of the programme will take place at the TBU Rectorate and selected university faculties. The festival is open to TBU students and employees as well as the general public. The full programme, schedule and information about individual lectures and workshops are available at www.utb.cz/etur.
Selected activities will also take place as part of the ETUR_UNILEAD initiative, which connects sustainability activities across Czech universities.