Meet the Expert | Student Belonging and Wellbeing in Higher Education by Gabriela Pleschova

In this presentation, Gabriela Pleschova examines the critical role that a sense of belonging plays in student success, mental health, and overall well-being. While belonging has been widely recognised as an important factor in the student experience, cross-national research on the topic remains limited.

Drawing on a novel study involving more than 2,000 students from five universities across five European countries, the speaker explores the relationships between belonging, well-being, life satisfaction, and loneliness. The findings reveal a strong and consistent positive association between students’ sense of belonging and both well-being and life satisfaction across all participating institutions.

The research also highlights a significant negative relationship between belonging and loneliness. This effect was particularly strong at Nottingham Trent University and Central European University, which have the largest international student populations among the institutions studied. The presentation provides valuable insights into how universities can foster belonging to support student success, enhance well-being, and create more inclusive learning environments.