“We are heading home reassured and excited about coming back!”

After four intensive days of presentations and visits, the heads of delegations leave the Jilin Province with everything they need for an optimal preparation of the Changchun 2027 Winter Universiade.

The Heads of Delegation Meetings are organised a few months before the Universiades to provide all participating delegations with the possibility to dive deep into the event. Representatives from 23 countries and regions spent four days in Changchun and Jilin collecting precious information to make sure their their teams know everything they need before travelling to China to compete.

No new venue built for the event

After the inaugural meeting, it was time to hit the road for three days of venue visits. The Heads of Delegation were able to experience transportation in real time and to see the preparation of the sites. The Changchun 2027 Winter Universiade is scoring many sustainability and legacy points as all the venues are already existing and are simply being refurbished for the event. The visits took the participants from the ice rinks in Changchun to the still green slopes of Songhua Lake and Beidahu resorts in the Jilin Province.

Site visits

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“This is a really important part of the preparation process for us as we are planning to come with about 80 to 90 people”, explained Hannah Schäfer (centre) from the German University Sports Federation. “And I must say I really feel at home. The organisers and the volunteers are so helpful, they are really happy and proud that we are here. The hotels, the fields of play and all the facilities we have seen here in Songhua Lake are of very high standard. And I must admit that we didn’t expect such great ski resorts in China!”

Manon Bordeleau represents U Sports Canada. “It is really impressive to see what China is capable of doing in a such a short time. A lot of us come from countries where this takes months and months. I believe we could learn from them! I was coming here full of stereotypes about the country and I am discovering beautiful sceneries, nature and forests that look like Canada! I would also like to add that the presentations are sharp, there is a lot of help on hand to guide us and translate anything we may not understand. We are heading home reassured and excited about coming back.”

“I have received a lot of support throughout this visit” said Dayoung Park (in black) from the Korean University Sports Federation. “The accommodation and the services are good but many of the venues are still being transformed so it takes a bit of imagination to project ourselves. And next it will be our turn to organise such a meeting to prepare the Chungcheong 2027 FISU World University Games in Korea!”

Very responsive medical care

FISU President Leonz Eder was also able to experience first hand the quality and efficiency of the medical care provided on site. Suffering from slight muscular pain one evening, he saw a complete team offer him the choice between Occidental or Chinese medicine. He chose the latter and received an acupuncture treatment that allowed him to feel a lot better to embark on his return trip home to Switzerland.

Q&A and round table meetings

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The last morning was dedicated to a questions and answers and wrap-up meeting before the Heads of Delegation had the opportunity to exchange with every functional area in an round table format. Representatives from FISU and from the Changchun 2027 Winter Universiade Organising Committee expressed their appreciation and satisfaction and provided the participants with answers, suggestions and assistance.

Cultural visits around Changchun

Of course education and culture play an important part in FISU events. The Heads of Delegation Meeting concluded with visits to the Jingyuetan scenic area and the Siji Nahe Waterfront Park in Changchun.

The Changchun 2027 Winter Universiade will take place in northern China from 15-25 January 2027. To find out more, please visit the official website.