EUSA General Assembly 2023 held in Kusadasi

The General Assembly of the European University Sports Association (EUSA) was held today, on October 13 in Kusadasi, Turkiye, with more than 100 participants in attendance.

The event was opened by EUSA President Adam Roczek, who welcomed all the delegates of the member associations, as well as partners and guests, also thanking the Turkiye University Sport Federation (TUSF) for hosting the event and their hospitality.

The participants were also welcomed by TUSF President Mehmet Gunay. Welcome address was given also by the Acting President of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) Leonz Eder.

The President of the European Olympic Committees Spyros Capralos and EACEA Head of Erasmus Mundus and Sport Yves Le Lostecque greeted the audience remotely.

Also representatives of all continental sports federations greeted the participants; on behalf of FISU America its President Alim Maluf Neto, on behalf of Federation of Africa University Sports (FASU) its Secretary General Penninah Kabenge, on behalf of Asian University Sport Federation (AUSF) Jin Liu, and via video address on behalf of FISU Oceania its President David Schmude.

A cultural programme started the event. The General Assembly elected Bruno Barracosa as the Chair of the Assembly, and Kitija Senkane (LAT) and Adam Stigborn (SWE) as scrutineers.

After approval of the agenda, the minutes of the previous General Assembly were confirmed. The Assembly suspended the national university sports association from Malta due to inactivity, and also reconfirmed the temporary suspension of the national university sports associations and universities from Russia and Belarus because of the war and aggression against Ukraine. In addition, a statement of the Executive Committee was given on the organisation’s mission is to promote life and wellbeing through the values of sports and peace, also related to current conflicts and violence in Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh and also Israel. EUSA reject all forms of violence and would like to express our unwavering solidarity with the victims of conflicts in countries that are members of our organization. We stand with all the victims and call for an immediate cessation of violence.

EUSA Executive Committee reported to the Assembly great interest of universities to join the university sport family as EUSA Associated Members, and the Assembly confirmed granting the Status of EUSA Associated Member to 82 universities from 17 countries. Two certificates were symbolically presented to the rectors present at the Assembly. The complete list will soon be updated and available on the EUSA website.

The Executive Committee Report and Accounts for the period 2021-2022 was given by EUSA Secretary General Matjaz Pecovnik and EUSA Treasurer Francis Cirianni. They recalled that unfortunately the European Universities Games in Belgrade were first postponed and then cancelled due to Covid-19. The great success of the European Universities Games Lodz 2022 was highlighted, and also great success of the European Universities Rowing Championship in Istanbul. To recall, the Games were held in the Polish city of Lodz in July 2022. 20 sports were offered, and the event hosted 4459 participants forming 828 university teams, representing 417 universities from 37 countries. The Games also featured several educational, cultural and social events and activities, and received support of the European Union. 2022 sports season also featured the championship in Rowing, which welcomed 534 participants, representing 71 universities from 16 countries.

Several other activities, projects and educational events were held in this period on the topics of anti-doping, dual career, equal opportunities, good governance, safe-guarding, skills development, mobility, traineeships, volunteering and sustainability. Most of these were co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, and some also supported by FISU.

EUSA members confirmed modifications to the EUSA Statutes and Internal Regulations, related to the general management and good governance, including fairer and more adequate representation, defining more potential conflict of interests and introducing age limit also for elected representatives.

Activity Plan and Provisional Budget 2023-2024 were also presented and discussed. The year 2023 so far already recorded a new record for EUSA, having concluded the very successful summer season of the European Universities Championships in 19 sports, with 5352 participants, composing 982 teams, representing 508 universities from 39 countries. EUSA sports season for this year is not over yet, as the European Universities Winter Sports Championships with Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding, as well as Snow Volleyball as a demo sport is coming up. Registration will be extended to end of October, so more participants will be able to join us for the inaugural winter event in Val di Zoldo this December.

Next year will be the year of the European Universities Games, being hosted by Hungarian cities and universities in Debrecen and Miskolc. The event was presented by Szabolcs Biro, highlighting that the event is More than Games – as the slogan says. In 2024 also the championship in rowing will be held, hosted in Istanbul.

The participants of the EUSA General Assembly also had a time to look into the future years. In 2025, the season of the European Universities Championships will bring at least 21 sports in the summer season; in 2026 the European Universities Games will be held in Salerno, Italy. The Games in Salerno were presented by Lorenzo Lentini and Francis Cirianni.

Bidding for 2027 Championships will open this November. We are extremely excited to share the news that for the European Universities Games 2028 letters of interest was received from 3 cities: Split (CRO), Granada (ESP) and Manisa (TUR). The Games will be attributed in April next year.

EUSA members confirmed the proposal of the Executive Committee to award the highest organisational honorary distinction – the title of EUSA Honorary Member to Lorenz Ursprung, former EUSA Treasurer and to Peter George, long-time EUSA Technical Delegate for Basketball.

European University Sports Association has an institutional Student Representative position in the Executive Committee, meaning that at least one of the voting Executive Committee Members is a student, aged 17-30 upon election. The mandate of the student representative is 2 years, and this year the mandate expired for the student representative Flobena Nikolli, who also acted as Chair of the Student Commission. The Assembly elected Klea Taipllari (ALB) as the new Student Representative in the Executive Committee.

Next year, EUSA will commemorate the 25th anniversary of its existence, and will celebrate its birthday with the special Conference and Gala in Vienna, Austria in November 2024. The plans were presented on behalf of the hosts by the President of the Austrian University Sports Organisation Unisport Austria Hemma Angerer and Georg Denev from the University of Vienna.

Next EUSA General Assembly will be held in 2025, and will be an electoral one, hosted by the Croatian Academic Sport Federation (CASF/HASS) in the city of Zagreb.

European Union House in Ljubljana

In this month’s What’s up student column EUSA European Solidarity Corps volunteers: Heloise, Emanuele, Marta and Jennifer are sharing their opinions on the visit of the European Union House in Ljubljana, the upcoming elections, and the opportunities that the EU offers.

During the visit, they learned how the European Union works and what functions each EU institution performs. Moreover, they had the opportunity to hear the stories of people from various European countries and learn about initiatives undertaken in different European cities. An important part of the visit was also getting to know the members of the European Parliament who are currently part of it, as well as learning more about the upcoming elections that will take place in June next year.

Marta:
In my opinion, the upcoming European Parliament elections are a crucial moment for young people to shape the direction of the European Union. It's not just about choosing representatives; it's about deciding the policies and priorities that will directly impact the lives of our generation. Being part of the European Union is like being part of a collaborative space where the diverse voices of various nations are acknowledged. As a young person, this gives me the chance to contribute to decisions affecting education, job opportunities, and environmental policies that extend beyond national borders. The EU promotes a feeling of unity by presenting chances for cultural exchange, participation in programs like Erasmus or the European Solidarity Corps, and the freedom to work and travel effortlessly within member states. Personally, I feel very grateful for all the opportunities given by the EU - thanks to them, I was able to be a part of a few youth exchanges and training courses, live in Madrid for 6 months during my Erasmus studies, work for a few months in Seville, spend a month volunteering in Turkey, and now here in Slovenia. Essentially, getting involved in these elections allows me to play a role in shaping my own future in a world that's interconnected on a global scale.

Emanuele:
I am very grateful to the European Union for all the opportunities it has been giving to me as a young citizen. I am currently here in Ljubljana volunteering under the European Solidarity Corps program where I will remain 1 year, but I have also participated in Erasmus for study several times and receive fundings from EU to support my studies abroad. I have made two internships with the Erasmus+ traineeship program and, last but not least, I have participated in some youth exchanges and team volunteering. All these experiences made me feel truly European, because I had the chance to discover more about other European countries, to meet people from all over the world and to embrace European values of inclusion, equality and freedom. I feel I grew (and I am still growing) as a person thanks to Europe, I feel I am discovering myself everyday and most of all I feel I have a lot of possibilities in my life because I live here, even if there are challenges ahead and the future is always uncertain. Visiting the European House in Ljubljana was a great way to understand better how the EU institutions work, thanks to the intuitive and interactive multimedia contents present in the room, but also to see the faces of people that are working everyday to make Europe working for its citizens and to make Europe better everyday. It was nice to hear stories of normal people from all over Europe, I think it’s a great way to remember that Europe is made of people, that Europe is our house and that as citizens we have to and we can do our best to take care of it. I hope I can do my little part being an ESC volunteer.

Jennifer:
Visiting the European Union House in Ljubljana was an informative and a slightly mournful experience as a Scottish citizen. Looking at all the commissioners and MEPs listed on the screens and feeling the sense of unity between all the nations represented, left me with a bittersweet feeling; of appreciation of the unity and a sadness that I was no longer a part of it as a citizen. The part of the experience I was most touched by was hearing the stories shared by civilians in different parts of Europe; farmers, business owners, teachers, young people, health professionals and so many others. Their stories touched on health care, farming, education, food quality standards and cultural heritage and the impact of the EU. The thing that struck me as the most valuable asset of the European Union, is that these topics are being discussed by so many different nations and that many different voices, with different needs, are included and heard. The opportunity, created by the formation of the EU, for people to come together to discuss and listen to each other on beliefs, needs and ideas, is so important. I believe that shared human experience and interaction is what can make the world a better place and the EU strives to do that through the unity it has formed. As a collective, the world's most challenging problems can be tackled. I am grateful for the opportunity the European Solidarity Corps has provided me to live and work in another country, meet new people and experience a different culture. I hope that the future will bring more opportunities for the Scottish youth so that they can become more cultured and experience some of the best things the world has to offer.

Heloise:
For me, it’s a real opportunity to be in the European Union. Without it, it would have been impossible for me to live in Slovenia for a year, especially thanks to the European Solidarity Corps program. It’s a chance to discover other countries and the possibility to move easily. Moreover, it helps to develop an open-minded perspective. But beyond this practical aspect, I find it important to unite countries into a powerful entity that can help each other and resolve international issues. We don't have the same visions and experiences, and it's this diversity that, to me, is a strength. For example, in terms of environmental issues, where thanks to European regulations, many countries follow the same path to reduce their environmental impact. The European Union sends a strong message in my opinion: the proof to be at peace and form a significant institution despite the vast cultural diversities and different histories of each country is possible.

About the House of Europe, this visit was very instructive to me, to let me understand better on the operation of the European Union with these 3 institutions, especially to understand for which institution we will vote in a few months. It was better for me to understand my role as a citizen in these organisation.During this visit I found it interesting to see the direct impact of the European Union across her law, her subventions on the European citizens. During this visit I found it interesting to see the direct impact of the European Union across her law, her subventions on the European citizens thanks to the different testimonies of citizens.

Are you a student with an opinion? We are looking for new contributors for our student column every month. Feel free to contact stc@eusa.eu to offer a piece or propose a topic.

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