The City of Lugano, through the Culture Division, has realised the Culture and Health project, which has been designed as part of a three-year partnership between the Culture Division and IBSA Foundation for scientific research. The project is based on a growing body of scientific and clinical evidence, taken from the WHO World Health Organisation. Culture and Health was set up to promote initiatives and synergies between the worlds of culture and health in order to improve people’s quality of life and wellbeing in healthcare, culture and everyday life.

Project actions include the joint realisation with the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) of the first university course in Switzerland on Culture and Health at the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, which will be in its fourth edition in the 2024-2025 academic year.
The course is open to the public and is thematic, involving leading international experts in the field as keynote speakers, and each year sees the partnership with a different city cultural institution.