It’s September, which in the world of university sports means one thing – that it is the month of the International Day of University Sport (IDUS)!
All of FISU’s national and continental member federations have started their preparations for 20 September. Although this year, IDUS will not be quite the same as in preceding years, university sports federations around the world are coming up novel ideas and using their imagination to find ways to celebrate the day.
FISU Oceania, for example, is developing a special social media campaign for IDUS with an aim to enhance engagement with universities in their region. The campaign will target two key groups: the universities and colleges as well as the students themselves. The campaign will provide both groups with ideas and innovative ways in which they can get involved in IDUS 2020.
Students will be able to directly participate in this campaign with videos and photos introducing themselves, along with a comment on how they are planning to celebrate the International Day of University Sport. All they have to do is make sure they include the hashtags #WeAreOceania and #LetsIDUS. They can also include questions such as – why do you love sport or what does sport mean to you – if they want to send a joint video with other students.
“Our main goal is to get people involved on the day or even the week leading up to 20 September and increase the awareness of IDUS and FISU Oceania within our region,” says FISU Oceania Secretary General Donna Spethman. “We think this campaign will help promote IDUS and allow for greater engagement from our countries on the day.”
Additionally, FISU Oceania are also running a competition which requires students to film themselves doing a trick shot or skill and then upload it to Facebook or send directly to FISU Oceania for a chance to win €250 for their university sport club!
FISU’s Student Committee is also planning their own IDUS event in the lead up to 20 September. They intend to host an open online session for student representatives of National University Sports Federations as well as FISU Student Ambassadors that emerge from the annual FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy.
The session will discuss best practices from delivered IDUS projects around the world, as well as ideas and suggestions for the years to come.
“The idea was to establish a stronger global network of student representatives and also to increase awareness of the role of the FISU Student Committee,” says Joshua Miethke, member of the FISU Student Committee. “We want to increase collaboration and connections between student committees in the global university sports structure.”
More information on this project and others, from around the world, in the days to come as we count down to 20 September.
