Sue Campbell, Stefan Bergh & Alison Odell

UMEA - University senior officials, Rectors, Deans and Chancellors are gathering in the Swedish city of Umea for the 4^th FISU Rector’s Forum discussing the main theme:”University and Community growth through university sport”. The Forum is hosted on the campus of the Institute of Design (Umea Art Campus).

FISU Vice-President Stefan Bergh, who is the Honorary President of the Swedish University sports Federation, introduced the three first speakers. Alison Odell, FISU 1st Assessor and Chair of the FISU Education Committee welcomed the participants and presented FISU. The two others speakers were the Rector of Umea University, Lena Gustafsson and Sture Espwall, President of the National University Sports Federation of Sweden (SAIF). The latter presented an overview of the activities organised during this year as SAIF is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Martin Doulton

The key note speech was delivered by Baroness Sue Campbell who chaired UK Sport. Her presentation was focused on the key factors for successful partnerships and collaboration between Universities and Elite sport. She also insisted on the dual career pathways. University may be helpful for applied sciences, athlete talent development, institute performance support and coach development.

Martin Doulton, director of sport at Monash University and FISU board member representing Oceania, presented the main theme of this Forum. He spoke on creating a “joie de vivre” throughout sport and team building changing the wording of the “volunteers” from “supporting team”. How to build the Monash tribe, using sport for building “team Monash”, to the elite athletes and mass sport (social and non-social sports)?

Paolo Bouquet

The afternoon sessions were focused on “Innovation and growth” and “Collaborative partnerships”. Mr Paolo Bouquet who is the head of the next FISU Conference during the Winter Games in Trento (December 9-10) was one of the speakers in his capacity of Vice-rector of the University of Trento.

13 members of the FISU Family including 6 Executive Committee members were in attendance today.

(Source: Kolë Gjeloshaj, Director Education)