Oleg MatytsinUMEA - The second and final day of the FISU Rector’s on June 13^th, started with two presentations on partnership support of career management. The participants could listen to two speakers from two different continents and two very successful sport countries. Mrs. Yoriko Nogushi from the Japan Sport council and Mr. Bernard Franklin from the NCAA (USA). Dr Noguchi set out the effect and impact of economic and demographic change on the Japanese government’s approach to Olympic and Paralympic medal success. A major shift since 2000 in the funding model for systematic elite athlete support from commercial business based clubs to a much wider partnership across schools and universities and national sport federations facilitated by the Japanese sports council at the delivery level, and two government departments learning to co-operate above this.

Dr Franklin wowed us with the extensive nature of what the NCAA offers to athletes across their academic and sport career in a model which is founded in a culture nearly unique to the USA education system, but nevertheless worthy of consideration in aspects of athlete development. 

Paul Wylleman

The topic of Dual career was presented on a different perspective. Form the Swedish Sport Confederation by Peter Mattsson and Kent Lindhal and by Professor Paul Wylleman form the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) who explained the different steps and challenges the students-athletes are facing in their sport careers.

The FISU First Vice-President, Oleg Matytsin who is the President of the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport and Tourism in Moscow and Tom Hinch of the University of Alberta spoke on the topic ‘University Sport and Tourism’. Mr. Matytsin’s presentation focused on the Kazan Universiade 2013 as a show case.

Professor Matytsin, brought us further examples, tangible and intangible, of the growth engendered in Kazan over a myriad of dimensions and the onward legacy for the community at local, regional and national level, notably the physical sporting infrastructure of the city, part of which has been embedded in the care of the local universities, the reconstructed transport system, modern housing, the knowledge base that will reside within the educational institutions capable of feeding a future major event legacy, a base for FISU too within the International Education Centre, a institute for volunteering, major IT platform development and a centre of incentive tourism.

Arne Lungjquist

For Professor Hinch, sport is a powerful tourist attraction locally and internationally. Sport is connected to place, its complementary institutional & community goals need to exist to derive social and economic benefits and Tourism industry is positioned to help university sport succeed.

Helmut Schmidt of the University of Kaiserslautern outlined the business model adopted at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern over the last 40 years using sport as a key driver. Teacher training including sport as a key component, engagement in elite sport support through sports science institute partnership, partnership with the city notably through the FCK football club driving community identity – all these formed aspects of a university business model founded around sport’s influence on an institution’s profile.

Alison Odell

Magnus Högström, Executive Director of Sports Medicine of Umea, illustrated a comprehensive business model offering co-operation across the city of Umea, the university, and its own research base.

Arne Ljungquist of the Karolinka Institute spoke about leadership and the new challenge of international sport based on his experience as IOC member and former IAAF 1st Vice-President. To his point of view, today’s challenges in sport are: political, environmental, doping, match fixing/illegal betting and gender issues.

For Alison Odell, FISU 1st Assessor and Chair of the Education Committee who presented the conclusions, the cross cutting themes of FISU Rectors’ Forum were:

*Transformational power of sport as a tool;

*Leadership and advocacy needs to come from the very top in universities if sport is to transform the student experience and the surrounding community;

*Treat students as partners not customers;

*Collaborative partnerships need to acknowledge the reality of the start point for all partners in a project;

*Universities deserve increased recognition in the partnership role they are able to play in dual career support and should pursue this as a benefit;

*University sport, especially major international or community events, can leverage collaborative partnership across existing business or social interests to support regional growth, but leaders in the education field may need to take the initiative.

(Source: Kolë Gjeloshaj, Director Education, based on the conclusions of Alison Odell)