Education and culture at the heart of the event

FISU President Leonz Eder took advantage of his three-day stay in China’s “Football City”, to meet with numerous leaders and representatives from the academic, political, and sports sectors, and also to participate in a series of activities showcasing Dalian’s vibrant sports and cultural scene.

The Dalian 2025 FISU University World Cup Football stayed true to the tradition of placing education and culture at the centre of FISU sporting events.

The meetings between FISU President Leonz Eder and the event host, the Vice-Minister for Education, the Mayor of Dalian, and the authorities of the Chinese Student Sports Federation (CSSF) marked the beginning of three intense days of visits and exchanges. They aimed to strengthen the already close ties between China, CSSF and FISU, but above all, to discuss upcoming events and potential future activities for FISU in China—a key partner and one of the main host countries for FISU events.

Two years ahead of the 2027 FISU World University Games, which will take place in Korea’s Chungcheong Province, the FISU President, accompanied by FISU Chief Sports Officer Shen Zhen and Education and Culture Senior Manager Bertrand Fincoeur, also met with local authorities from the Korean city of Suncheon, who expressed their interest in hosting a major FISU event in the coming years.

The three-day visit to Dalian also included a tour of Dalian University, one of the region’s top universities, with impressive sports facilities available to nearly 18,000 students. Importantly, this visit provided the opportunity for FISU to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Dalian University for the future development of joint projects:

• Development and implementation of sport-related academic and research initiatives
• Joint promotion of students’ wellbeing and healthy lifestyle through the Healthy Campus programme
• Participation in FISU educational events and programmes

Three great days of visits

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Dalian University is also part of a new “Study in Dalian” scholarship programme, together with 11 other universities from the Dalian region, administered by Dalian Education Bureau and Dalian Education Foundation and supported by FISU, which will be implemented soon:

• Master programme for student-athletes who competed in FISU sports events and outstanding students from Healthy Campus universities.

The FISU President visited Dalian No. 8 High School and Dongbeilu Primary School—renowned for having produced over 300 professional Chinese football players since the late 1950s, with alumni present in nearly every club of the Chinese Super League. He had the chance to meet and speak with enthusiastic children united by their passion for sports, especially football.

Historical and musical cultural visits

Culture was also a highlight of the trip, with visits to the World Museum of Music and Culture of Dalian—the first national-level museum in China integrating Chinese and Western musical cultures—as well as Dalian’s historic Dongguan Street district and the Dalian Oriental Venice Water City.

There is no doubt that through these numerous exchanges, FISU’s position in China—and China’s role in FISU’s sporting and educational events—has been further strengthened for the years to come. An additional dimension to the already assured success of the Dalian 2025 FISU University World Cup, which continues until 28 September.

The 20 September, which was also the International Day of University Sport was marked by eight games in the men’s tournament.

You can find the official schedule (CET + 6) as well as the results on the event’s official website and follow the matches live on FISU.tv (which is temporarily on YouTube).