about Jana Koci, Ph.D.

Jana Kočí, PhD,
is a well-being scientist, author, and assistant professor of health and well-being education with nearly 20 years of expertise. She is the founder of Uniwellsity, an award-recognized EdTech initiative selected by the European Commission among the Top 10 impactful, creative, and sustainable projects of 2025. Jana is a Young European Entrepreneurs finalist, a Woman in Tech 2025 awardee, and has been recognized as a Top Female Founder 2025.

 

She brings evidence-based positive psychology into students’ everyday lives through research, teaching, and the scalable delivery of well-being education enabled by technology.

Jana currently serves as an assistant professor at Charles University and as a postdoctoral researcher at Ganesha University of Education in Bali, where she builds faculty-level well-being systems. She has previously held visiting professorships in the USA and Asia and leads international campus well-being measurement across the USA, Europe, and Asia. Over nearly two decades, she has designed, implemented, and empirically tested well-being interventions in higher education across diverse cultural contexts. Jana is the author of Well-Being and Success for University Students: Applying PERMA+4 and an internationally invited speaker on campus well-being, life satisfaction, and happiness.
 

Her work uniquely connects science, humanity, and digital innovation to help universities place students, not performance alone, at the heart of education. She teaches a highly popular student well-being course for Charles University students as well as for students from European universities within the 4EU+ Alliance, based on the content of #ThePinkBook. She also leads large-scale research on student well-being at her university, and her sincere care for students is consistently reflected in outstanding student evaluations.

​

Jana graduated with honors for her outstanding academic achievements, and she was honored for her contribution as an outstanding young researcher by the EFSA European Food Safety Authority committee in 2015. Jana is a Visiting Professor at Ganesha University of Education in Indonesia and was a Visiting Professor at Claremont Graduate University in California, where she worked on independent research in positive psychology. She has also spent several semesters at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln designing a nutrition education program for Czech students.

​

She earned her PhD in Pedagogy with an emphasis on Health Education, and she focuses her research on the application of positive psychology within the academic environment through the fostering of well-being for university students, professors, and university employees. Jana has led several national projects focused on student well-being at Charles University, including initiatives to build student well-being (2022–2024) and supporting mental health during distance learning (2022–2024). Additionally, she coordinated a national analysis of documentation for lifelong learning, assessing micro-certificates across public universities in the Czech Republic as a part of the project Micro-credentials in the Czech Republic (2022–2023). Jana appreciates discussions with her dear colleagues while teaching a course for professors on How to Build the Well-Being of University Students, and she also strives to support the well-being of teachers, professors, and all academic personnel in her Well-Being for Academics course. She is the founder of Uniwellsity, a co-founder of the Global Well-Being Consortium, and a co-active well-being coach. She also enjoys writing books on well-being care for middle schools and high schools. She deeply respects and appreciates the science of well-being; she enjoys working with her students, and she cares for the well-being of the whole academic community. 

​

Jana is the Founder & CEO, Chief Visionary & Lead Content Director of Uniwellsity, a passionate well-being professor who deeply loves working with her students and university colleagues from all around the world. With 18 years in academia and 13 years of teaching experience, Jana has dedicated her life to nurturing and inspiring students. While living in different corners of the world, she is affiliated with universities in Europe, the USA, and Indonesia, which enriches her understanding of education and well-being on a global scale.
In 2025, she was selected by the European Union among the Top 10 Finalists of the Young European Entrepreneur Award and is currently participating in their one-year acceleration program. She was also awarded as the National Winner of Women in Tech Czechia and her company, Uniwellsity, was recognized among the Top 10 Most Creative Businesses at the Creative Business Cup 2025.

In her pursuit of knowledge, Jana conducts extensive research and supports student well-being, making her an exceptional academic. Thanks to her passion and perseverance, she has laid the foundations for Uniwellsity, a little different university that aims to provide support to university and college students on their journey while reminding them not to forget to have fun. A natural leader, Jana inspires those around her and brings joy to every interaction. Her positive energy influences everyone, creating a truly uplifting atmosphere. You can find Jana smiling or laughing out loud, fully embracing life. She enjoys discussing the good life, well-being, and authenticity, contributing significantly to the field of positive psychology. As a well-being thinker, a creative writer, and a committed researcher, her strength lies in positive education, inspiring those around her to thrive.

​

Jana can be reached at jana@uniwellsity.com.