This BIP focuses on “Sport, exercise and mental health in special populations", targeting vulnerable groups such as children, adults and elderly with chronic diseases and mental illness.

It explores in depth the role of sport and exercise for the prevention and treatment of mental disorders and it analyses the potential benefits and risks of sport & exercise participation regarding mental health and wellbeing in different settings, considering various social and cultural contexts.  

Building upon the foundations established by previous BIP initiatives, this program aims to deepen existing collaborations with key partners of CIVIS. The expansion of these partnerships reflects the importance of addressing the complex needs of vulnerable populations through innovative approaches. The significance of this endeavor lies in the urgent need to tackle disparities in mental health care and promote inclusivity and equity in health-related sport & exercise interventions.

Goals and objectives 

The primary aim is to enable students to contribute to the promotion of mental health and well-being among special populations through sport and exercise. Specific objectives include:

1. Enhancing participants' understanding of sport & exercise and mental health issues across diverse populations.
2. Developing intervention strategies tailored to each group according to sport & exercise activities.
3. Providing theoretical, technical, and practical training to apply interventions in real-world contexts referring to sport, exercise and mental health.
4. Promoting interdisciplinary approaches by integrating different perspectives ranging from Sport & Exercise Science, Physiotherapy, Psychology, Medicine, and Nursing.

The BIP will start with the physical mobility component (in Tübingen, Germany) to enhance team building and student motivation via social collaboration enhanced by social events. This strategy will allow to create the group tutoring program, to start with the group dynamic learning process and to facilitate future group tasks. 

The virtual mobility program will combine synchronous teaching (lectures and group tutoring) with online asynchronous sessions.

Teaching and learning methods:

• lectures and seminars: structured sessions will introduce key concepts, analyze contemporary research, and apply findings through case studies. These will be delivered in-person and virtually for flexibility and engagement.
• workshops and practical sessions (in Tübingen): Hands-on activities will focus on designing, implementing, and assessing interventions tailored to each vulnerable population. 
• interdisciplinary group dynamics (in Tübingen): solving problems, case analyses and debates aiming at promoting collaborative and interdisciplinary work.
• meetings and interactions with people with professional and life experiences regarding sport, exercise and mental health
• group work and collaborative tasks: teams will develop and present intervention plans, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and peer learning. At the end of the program, students (in groups of 2-3) will be asked to give an online presentation to the whole group on a theme linking sport, exercise and mental health.
• virtual learning: online platforms will facilitate asynchronous activities, flipped classrooms, and group discussions, ensuring continuity between physical and virtual components.
• mentoring and group tutoring: academic mentors will guide small groups, offering feedback throughout the program and group works.

The physical mobility part will be running from 30 March to 3 April 2026 in Tübingen, Germany, and will include selected components of the four learning modules that may benefit more from students’ interactions and debates.

For instance, some of the learning units will include sessions with exercise and physical activities focusing on body awareness (e.g. relaxation, yoga, endurance and strength exercises). From the beginning, the on-site meetings in Tübingen will contribute to promote a holistic approach and non-stigmatizing attitude.  

Furthermore, the physical mobility program will allow to offer meetings with people having relevant professional and life experiences including meetings with sport organization experts and clinical staff members. 

Bridging the academic and the socio-cultural program, the physical mobility part will also allow experiences linking the academic area of the University of Tübingen (including its facilities of the Institute of Sport Science and the Interfaculty Research Institute for Sport and Physical Activity as well as the University Hospital including, for example, its departments for Sports Medicine, Psychosomatics, Psychiatry etc.) and the city of Tübingen with its institutions and opportunities enabling physically active practices within the social, build and natural environments (e.g., the Neckar river, the Schönbuch forest, the old town including the castle). 

The virtual mobility program will run between 5 April to 12 June 2026 and will combine synchronous teaching with online asynchronous sessions, which allows an optimal usage of teaching approaches such as flipped learning, research-based teaching and teamwork.

The virtual component will consist of meetings, distributed in 10 weeks, on average 2.5 hours per week (1h lecturing + 1.5h tutoring). In addition, students will have to complete 30 hours of individual and group works. 

Students will be able to find all necessary module information such as power point presentations, case studies, bibliography, and video presentations on the CIVIS moodle platform. 

During the whole BIP, based on the group tutoring, the students will have a close supervision of their learning and support for their specific tasks. The virtual mobility program will allow to support the individual work and group tasks.