TARTU, ESTONIA – FISU President Oleg Matytsin presented the FISU Global Strategy and expressed the hope that all continental associations and national university sports federations will follow up with creating their own strategic documents during day two of the University Sports conference that took place in the student capitol of Estonia.
On the heels of the International Day of University Sport, which took place on September 20th, the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU put on a conference titled “Sport, Education, University: Joining Efforts for Athletes’ Dual Career and Active Societies.” The two day educational event lead directly into the European Week of Sport which got underway officially with a Friday night adventure trip.
President Matytsin delivering the conference’s keynote address: “University Sports and its role in shaping the leaders of tomorrow”
Friday’s event participants were greeted by Volli Kalm, Rector of Tartu University; Yves Le Lostecque, Head of the Sport Unit in the European Commission; and Tarvi Pürn, Undersecretary of Sport for the Estonian Ministry of Culture.
FISU President Matytsin delivered the event’s keynote address, where he talked about FISU’s efforts to shape the leaders of tomorrow through international university sports competitions. The President also said that overcoming challenges such as the increasing sedentary lifestyle of global youth and rising obesity rates in many countries were goals within the University Sports movement.
President Matytsin alongside Laurent Petrynka, Claudia Bokel, Gerd Kanter and Volli Kahn during a panel discussion on why society needs educated athletes
President Matytsin then took part in dual career panel discussion alongside a host of global leaders on the subject. This group was comprised of Claudia Bokel, former IOC Athletes’ Commission Chair and Adecco Group Vice President; Gerd Kanter, 2008 Olympic Champion, 2005 Universiade gold medalist and current head of Athletes’ Commission of Estonian Olympic Committee; and Volli Kalm, Rector of Tartu University.
The dual career panelists reflected on how social environment, particularly the milieu that coaches create within their interaction with athletes, influences whether an individual pursues universities studies during – or after – their peak competitive years.
The final day of the conference also included a series of keynote presentations and panel discussions, which were finished by a speech from Indrek Saar, the Estonian Minister of Culture.
The FISU President also took part in a roundtable discussion on what having a healthy lifestyle means
The events concluded with a seminar on healthy lifestyle that was organised by the European Commission. Tibor Navracsics, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth, Sport, and the author of the seminar, was joined by Vytenis Andriukaitis, the European Commissioner for Health & Food Safety. Both leaders spoke during the presentation titled “Tartu Call for a Healthy Lifestyle.” The aim of this seminar was to promote sport, physical activity and healthy eating.
During the panel discussion that followed, President Matytsin, shared his views on how to stimulate people to lead a healthy lifestyle while also praising the initiative of the European Week of Sport. He promised that FISU would study this event and then promote a similar format to its member federations along with the International Day of University Sport.