“FISU is brilliant! We have incredible opportunities”

An enthusiastic Matthias Remund admits his first year as Secretary General/CEO has flown by. He looks back on busy days, thrilling trips and looks forward to many opportunities as nobody else that FISU President Leonz Eder interviews him.

– 1 December marked one year since you took up the position of Secretary General/CEO of FISU. How does it feel today, on your first anniversary in your new role?

-This year has flown by very quickly. I was very well received at the General Secretariat (Synathlon building, the FISU Headquarters in Lausanne). Attending all the strategic dialogues with the Continental Federations, the Summer and Winter Games, as well as numerous visits and meetings gave me the opportunity to get to know the mechanisms, processes and, in particular, the people in our organisation. FISU is brilliant! We have incredible opportunities… 

–What surprised you most when you took over FISU’s leadership? What amazed you most, what pleased you most?

-I took up my position without any major expectations. I knew FISU from my participation in the Winter Games, but that was a long time ago, as we all know. I wanted to get an idea of how things worked. To understand why things were regulated or done in a certain way. I also studied a lot of documents, regulations, etc. I was particularly pleased with the motivation and identification of almost all of my colleagues in our organisation. I was amazed at the low level of digitalisation. This needs to be rectified quickly. The reputation of university sport, and therefore also FISU, is very high in many countries. FISU is attractive thanks to the many people who identify so strongly with university sport and have devoted countless hours to it. 

A first year that has flown by

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–I find you to be very inquisitive, interested, highly motivated and forward-looking. What drives you? What inspires you about student sport and your role?

-At FISU, we all have the privilege of promoting sport for young, intelligent people. For this reason alone, we must be eager to learn and always look forward. FISU must meet the needs of students, universities and its members. However, this must be done without completely ignoring the past, i.e. the path FISU has taken to date. We have a culture at FISU. It is important to live and develop this culture. That gives me motivation and energy.

–There is a saying: “New brooms sweep clean!” What are the most important changes you have introduced, what processes have you initiated, both at headquarters and in relation to the development of FISU as a whole?

-I don’t feel like a broom (laughs)… But an outside perspective can never hurt. We need to simplify processes, connect people, create transparency and understanding – form a unity within the FISU family. Sport and university have a universal language, and this needs to be promoted. The easier this can be made, the greater the chances of success.

-Where do you see further potential to strengthen FISU and position it even more?

-During my due diligence on FISU, I was told almost without exception that FISU and university sport have immeasurable potential. Unfortunately, no one could tell me exactly where this potential lies. Otherwise, it would surely have been realised already. Sport and university share a universal language, and this needs to be promoted. The easier this can be made, the greater the chances of success. Sport is trendy. Universities are responsible for the leaders of tomorrow. This potential must be exploited. In sport itself, with competitions that continue to be attractive, perhaps the fun aspect could be brought to the fore a little more. Then it is important to promote education with a few high-quality initiatives. We have the “U” for university in our name. That comes with a responsibility: we have to be better at this than all other international sports associations. In terms of wellbeing, we need to support students by providing universities with a label that promotes the students’ mental and physical health: not just for top athletes – for all students. The basis for these initiatives lies in sustainability.

Written by FISU President Leonz Eder