Welcome to the University of Hope – Where Knowledge Builds Resilience!

Colorful globe resting on bright, thick books — symbolizing knowledge, diversity, hope, and global connectedness.

University of Hope – A world resting on knowledge, diversity, and compassion.

The University of Hope is a free, human-centered learning platform that shares practical knowledge for emergency preparedness, resilience, and self-protection – for individuals, families, and society as a whole.

In a world of crises, resilience is our shared responsibility
In a world in crisis mode, it’s time to act together. To grow together.

Our time is marked by crises, disasters, and uncertainty. But we believe: resilience begins where people don’t just hope — they act.
The University of Hope aims to inspire and encourage you to take initiative, think preventively, and strengthen your resilience — to prepare for the unexpected with knowledge, creative solutions, and collective solidarity.

In an era defined by natural disasters, global pandemics, technological upheaval, and health challenges, we need more than just reaction. We need courageous people, creative solutions, and spaces where knowledge becomes confidence. The University of Hope is such a space.

We want to inspire and empower you to think ahead and take action — not out of fear, but out of responsibility and connection.

Why we call it the “University of Hope”

Because hope is power. It is what drives us. It transforms. It leads us to sustainable solutions, helps us overcome crises, and preserves our humanity. It is the beginning of every solution. An inner engine that allows us to respond to the unexpected — creatively, compassionately, and collectively.

Our platform is not a traditional campus — but a place of trust, of connection, of co-creation and empowerment. A space where we learn from one another — for a shared, shapeable future.

We grow together — with you.

The Founder: Birgit – shaped by experience, the creative force behind the platform

Birgit’s life path is marked by strength, transformation, and deep humanity. As someone living with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) and CFS/ME (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), she knows firsthand what it means to reorient oneself in a complex world.
These experiences did not break her — they inspired her. To become a founder, a curator of knowledge, and an enabler of a project that is meant to strengthen others when systems reach their limits. She doesn’t just speak about resilience — she lives it. With the University of Hope, she has created a space that supports, empowers, and uplifts.

Expert in Strategy, Communication & Resilience

After a successful career as a strategic communications and marketing consultant, Birgit had to step away due to health reasons — but she never let go of her passion. In 2024, she completed her certification as a Marketing Manager (German Academy of Management, Berlin) with distinction. Her thesis, titled “Personalized Medicine as a Societal Responsibility”, reflects her systems-thinking approach.

In addition to sharing her insights on pharmacokinetics, microbiome health, long COVID, toxicology, and more, she is an active member of a pharmacological forum led by Professor Eric Chan (NUS – National University of Singapore), building interdisciplinary bridges between research, lived experience, and compassionate care.
Her perspective is: systemic, networked, and practical.

A personal mission for resilience, prevention & protection

What drives Birgit isn’t just personal experience — it’s a deep passion for strategic scenario planning, crisis communication, wargaming, resilience, and disaster management. She is certified in crisis communication, risk and crisis management, and holds a Graduate in Disaster Management (Wirtschaftsakademie Wien). She was trained by internationally renowned lecturers such as Dr. Riem Khalil (Wirtschaftsakademie Wien) and Prof. Alexander Siedschlag (Dean and Professor, Embry-Riddle, Dept. of Emergency, Disaster & Global Security Studies, College of Arts & Sciences).

Her most formative teacher, however, was her father — a strong and loving mentor who taught her, from a young age, to value foresight, discipline, systems thinking, action competence, and above all: kindness and clear communication. With structure, heart, and humor, he instilled values that now form the core of her work.

We are the MindGuardians – and you are not alone

In a world facing growing resource shortages, understaffed emergency services, and a global wave of chronic conditions like Long COVID and ME/CFS, we — the MindGuardians — are committed to one thing:

Empowering you. Preparing you. Connecting you.

We want to help you act confidently and independently in times of crisis — and in doing so, ease the burden on our overextended emergency services. We cannot always wait for “help from outside” — because those systems are stretched thin themselves. Each and every one of us can become effective — with the right knowledge, tools, and courage.

A community that doesn’t just dream of hope — but lives it

The University of Hope is a bridge:

between patients and professionals
between knowledge and action
between scientific excellence and human connection

Whether it’s emergency preparedness, resilience-building, long COVID, toxicology, protective environments or creative formats for children — the University of Hope delivers knowledge that protects.

As an expert in communication and societal resilience, I am actively engaged in international networks that bring together diverse perspectives. My approach is deliberately solution-oriented – driven by the goal of promoting systemic 360-degree thinking, strengthening societal stability and building bridges between disciplines and cultures.

At the heart of my work is the relief and support of our many everyday heroes – all those emergency responders who operate on the front lines across the globe every single day:

during devastating wildfires in California, Spain and Greece, which once again destroyed hundreds of thousands of hectares of land in 2025
during torrential rainfall and flooding in Southeast and South Asia, such as in Indonesia, Bangladesh and Myanmar, where millions of people had to be evacuated
during flood disasters in Central Europe and the United Kingdom, such as in early 2025 in Northern England, where over 1,000 buildings were inundated and in Germany, where spring was the driest since 1950
during earthquakes in East Africa, particularly in Ethiopia along the East African Rift, where seismic activity is increasing
during earthquakes in Turkey, such as the one in August 2025 in Balıkesir, which was followed by over 200 aftershocks and numerous injuries
The fires in Spain and Portugal in the summer of 2025 are among the most devastating in the history of the Iberian Peninsula. According to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), CO₂ emissions from forest fires are at record levels. According to the EU's Joint Research Center, 2025 is on track to be the worst year for forest fires in Europe.
during earthquakes in the Himalayan region, such as in Tibet, where a magnitude 7.1 quake claimed over 120 lives and was felt as far as Nepal and India
and during heatwaves, droughts, and storms that are becoming existential threats in more and more regions – from Spain, with over 2,000 heat-related deaths, to the drought in Northern Germany, and tropical storms like Hurricane Erin, which crossed the Atlantic in 2025 as a Category 5 system.

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The list is endlessly long and all these emergency responders – whether in New York, Addis Ababa, Delhi, Berlin, Moscow, Vienna, Kyiv, Geneva, Beijing, Singapore, London, Jakarta, Riyadh, Canberra, Athens, Ankara, Ottawa, Tokyo, Pretoria, Paris, Nairobi, Lima, Bucharest, Dhaka or Madrid and everywhere else – deserve not only our recognition but above all sustainable relief and support. In light of global challenges such as climate change, geopolitical tensions and increasing natural disasters, we urgently need cross-cutting, resilient strategies that protect societies and nations – regardless of political systems.

Our world has long become a network of mutual dependencies – no country, no society can face these enormous global challenges alone. True resilience arises where we are willing to share responsibility and knowledge – across borders. Because crises know no boundaries – neither geographic nor political. Climate disasters, pandemics or humanitarian emergencies act transnationally and affect the most vulnerable first, but ultimately impact everyone. War, hunger or environmental catastrophes force people to flee. No country remains untouched – whether as a country of origin, transit or destination.

With the University of Hope, I aim to contribute to strengthening emergency responders worldwide – those who act where others must flee. Because no one knows where the next fire will break out, the earth will quake or flash floods will sweep everything away. What we need is a global network of even better preparedness and prevention, of knowledge and of holistic societal resilience.

For people. For animals. For our common good.

Several MindGuardians look ahead with focus, arm extended and right thumb raised – a symbol of confidence and encouragement.

The MindGuardians – alert, confident, and positive: Standing for knowledge, safety, and hope.

A nonprofit digital learning space for crisis preparedness, resilience, emergency planning, and mutual care – powered by community, creativity, and compassion.

Currently, at our University of Hope, you will find

1. Introduction to the University of Hope

1.1. MindGuardians_Innovarium

BioSensEurope - The Body Feels. We Understand. Science Learns

2. Well Prepared - Are You Really Well Prepared?

2.4. Natural Resilience – Valuable Knowledge for Real Crises and Emergencies

2.5. Resilience and Prevention - Strengthening Our Societal Resilience

2.5.1. Micronutrients and Vitamins

2.6. What Do Long Covid, CFS, Myopia and Disaster Preparedness Have in Common?

2.6.1 Muscle Changes - PEM Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM) - Disaster Management
2.6.2. Scenario Planning
2.6.3. Expanding the Disaster Preparedness Portfolio - Topic "Eyes"
2.6.4. Solutions and Approaches for Visual Aids
2.6.5. Valuable Prevention Tips

2.7. What Do Orthostatic Hypotension/Intolerance and Disaster Preparedness Have in Common?

3. Risk and Crisis management

4. Have You Thought About It? New Game - New Approach

4.1. Integration of Bicycle and E-Scooter Couriers in Disaster Management
4.2. Emergency Supplies - Food Disaster Preparedness Packages

5. The Invisible Danger - Creating Interactive VR Experiences to Raise Awareness About Chemical, Pesticide, and Xenobiotic Exposures

6. Shelters & Self-Protection

6.1. Music in Shelters? Absolutely...
6.2. Visual and Tactile Support for Fears and Worries
6.3. DIY Shelters

7. Welcome to the Club of Little (Big) Heroes and Heroines

8.1. Heat Exhaustion Scenario - "Club of Heroes and Heroines"

8.1.1. First Aid Explanation Videos Created by Our Little (Big) Heroes Themselves
8.1.2. Additional Creative Scenarios for the Club of Little and Big Heroes
8.2. Team Hope, Resilience, and Cohesion - Building a "New" Bank (Imagine a major natural disaster destroys your local bank and you receive the task to rebuild it using the simplest means)
8.3. Clever Management of Menstruation: Using Improvised Means and Handling Emergency Situations

BioSensEurope - The Body Feels. We Understand. Science Learns

This contribution was written by Birgit Bortoluzzi, the creative founder of the “University of Hope” – an independent knowledge platform dedicated to resilience, education, and compassion in a complex world.

Sources

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