Author: duponam
On August 25, 2025, the SS4DC Team met online to discuss the progression of the collaboratibe Partnership funded by the Erasmus+Sport programme (101133555) to encourage the dual career of young athletes of high school age (from 14 to 19 years old) through timely preparation for the labor market.
The joint effort of the SS4DC Team (Sportsko učilište PESG – projekti, HR; MindSpin, CY;, Aps Asd Margherita Sport e Vita, IT; Champions Factory, BG; Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı, TR; and EAS – The Dual Career Network, MT) almost completed the educational modules of the SS4DC Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
During this year, the SS4DC Team intensified the dissemination of the project and the official launch of the platform is just around the corner!
Stay tuned, exciting updates are on the way!
The Smart Start for DC project is funded by the European Union coordinated by PEGS. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
– A dynamic programme with keynote speakers, interactive sessions and workshops designed to tackle real dual career challenges, opportunities, and strategies.
– Updated dual career insights and practical learning of resources from European dual career projects for developing capabilities be applied to your local, national, and international contexts.
– Build connections and collaborations across the dual career ecosystem that extend beyond the Conference for future European projects.
– Celebrate with the dual career community the 10th Anniversary of the European Week of Sport (https://sport.ec.europa.eu/european-week-of-sport).
– Together we can advance the European dual career culture for the benefit of the European sport
Register before August 22, 2025 at https://conferences.lu.lv/event/761/registrations/ to save with Early Bird Rates!
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Dear friends of Dual Career,
Dual career represents a tremendous opportunity to empower sportspersons through an effective mentor-mentee relationship, which is the key aim of the ERASMUS+Sport DC MENTOR project (101132309).
On behalf of the EAS Executive Committee, I inform you that the 17th EAS Virtual Cafè on “Dual Career Mentors and Mentees getting ready for the next academic year” will be held on Monday July 7, 2025 (from 12:00 CET).
12:00 Welcome – Prof. Alejandro Leiva Arcas, UCAM, Murcia, Spain
Secretary of the Faculty of Sport at UCAM; Member of the Erasmus+DC Mentor project.
12:10 21st Century skills for dual career athletes – Kivanc Semiz, PhD, RTEU, Rize,Turkiye
Associate Professor of physical education and sport sciences at RTEU with a research focus on dual careers in sport, physical education with digital technology, and the role of social media in shaping perceptions and practices in the field.
12:25 Mentors-mentees interaction: An innovative approach – Gamze Aydin, Project coordinator at Sports Tech Turkiye, Kirklareli, Turkiye
Coordinator of EU-funded projects at Sports Tech Türkiye with an interest in sports technology for dual-career development to empower student-athletes through education and mentoring on new and future skills in the sports industry.
12:40 The DC MENTOR platform: Future skills for dual career – Kamil Kazim Sari, Collective Innovation, Oslo, Norway.
Board Member of Teach The Future (TTF) Global and Member of TTF Turkey Hub, World Future Society, Association of Professional Futurists, and Global Sports Innovation Centers, acting as consultant and investor on sports technology and AI applications in Oslo and Madrid, and satellite-based global connectivity infrastructures in Italy.
12:55 General discussions and concluding remarks
You can join the Zoom Meeting at : https://uni-lj-si.zoom.us/j/95198051181
Information will be available also at www.dualcareer.eu. Feel free to share this information with your colleagues, students, coaches, sports managers, etc.
Should you have any additional request or question, you can contact me.
We wish you a great week and we look forward to meeting you for this important dual career event!
On June 30, 2025, EAS in cooperation with Mr. Envic Galea (IJF Academy) organized the Smart Start for Dual Career (SS4DC) motivational workshop at the Malta Judo Academy. Overall, 29 participants attended the event, 13 youth student-athletes and 16 adults (parents/judo coaches and judo managers). In a country where dual career is at its infancy level, the Smart Start 4 DC motivational workshop represented an important event to raise the awareness of the youth athlete’s right to combine academic and sport commitments and to prepare them for future transition at higher education and/or working levels.
Initially, basic information on the importance of dual career for personal and future professional perspectives of athletes was provided. Some of the youth athletes as students indicated their favorite profession and the relative requirements. A short discussion regarding the relevance of soft skills in managing their future career followed. In presenting the aims, structure and contents of the SS4DC platform, the participants particularly appreciated the possibility to freely navigate the modules and the project website (www.SS4DC) containing more information of their interest. Surely, the presence of parents and coaches was crucial to engage the most relevant actors of the athletes’ entourage in supporting the efforts of the youth athletes during their dual career paths. In particular, their interest in the SS4DC platform and its contents might further support the future engagement of youth athletes in the mooc SS4DC educational programme, which is expected next September 2025.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
We are delighted to invite you to the 22nd Annual Conference of the European Athlete as Student (EAS) Network, taking place from 6–8 October 2025 in Riga, Latvia, and hosted by the University of Latvia. The university takes pride in its rich tradition of supporting elite student-athletes who have represented both the institution and Latvia on the global stage.
Each year, the EAS Conference provides an engaging platform for knowledge exchange between representatives from sports federations, academic institutions, ERASMUS+ project partners, and dual career professionals. The event promotes collaboration, the presentation of scientific research, and the sharing of best practices.
This years theme “Dual Career of Elite Athletes: Integrating Sport and Education for Future Success” will focus on how education systems and sports institutions can work hand in hand to create a sustainable future for elite athletes. Participants will explore innovative strategies and policy frameworks to better support athletes’ academic and athletic development.
The open and friendly atmosphere of EAS Conferences consistently leads to new initiatives, enhanced cooperation, and long-lasting professional connections. We look forward to hosting a productive and inspiring conference and seeing you soon in Riga.
the EAS conference website: https://eas2025.lu.lv/
The 17th EAS Virtual Cafè on “Dual Career Mentors and Mentees getting ready for the next academic year” will be held on Monday July 7, 2025 (from 12:00 CET).
Dual career represents a tremendous opportunity to empower sportspersons through an effective mentor-mentee relationship, which is the key aim of the ERASMUS+Sport DC MENTOR project (101132309).
On behalf of the EAS Executive Committee, I inform you that the 17th EAS Virtual Cafè on “Dual Career Mentors and Mentees getting ready for the next academic year” will be held on Monday July 7, 2025 (from 12:00 CET).
12:00 Welcome – Prof. Alejandro Leiva Arcas, UCAM, Murcia, Spain
12:10 XXI Century skills for dual career athletes – Kivanc Semiz, PhD, RTEU, Rize,Turkiye
12:25 Mentors-mentees interaction: An innovative approach – Gamze Aydin, Project coordinator at Sports Tech Turkiye, Kirklareli, Turkiye
12:40 The DC MENTOR platform: Future skills for dual career – Kamil Kazim Sari, Collective Innovation, Oslo, Norway.
12:55 General discussions and concluding remarks
We look forward to meeting you for this important dual career event
More information will be available at www.dualcareer.eu
On May 28, 2025, the representatives from all six partner countries of the ERASMUS+Sport SMART START for DC project gathered online for a coordination meeting to assess the development of the SS4DC digital platform to empower young high school athletes (aged 14 to 19) by providing innovative psychological assessment tools, career guidance, and education in transferable skills through a centralized digital environment.
During the meeting, the technical development coordinated across multiple work packages resulted on time and specific focus was given to ensuring the platform’s accessibility, multilingual interface, and gamified learning components, all key to reaching and engaging the target group effectively. Thus, the project team discussed the testing phase and shared feedback from initial internal trials of the SS4DC platform before its official launch. Participants also discussed the preparation of upcoming pilot activities, which will involve around 180 student-athletes for evaluating the platform’s usability and educational impact before the broader rollout planned later this year.
The importance of inter-partner communication and consistency in the delivery of results was also emphasized. The partners agreed on detailed action points to finalize the platform content, test environment, and dissemination strategy in the coming weeks. This coordination meeting highlighted the consortium’s strong collaborative spirit and commitment to delivering a high-quality, inclusive, and sustainable digital solution for young athletes. With development in its final stages and pilot testing on the horizon, the SMART START for DC project is well on track to fulfill its mission of supporting dual career pathways across Europe.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neith er the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
On May 15 and 16, 2025, as Member of the Executive Board of EAS Laurence Blondel participated in the final event of the ERASMUS+Sport SAMEurope project (https://www.sameuropeproject.eu) organized by INSA Lyon. SAMEurope aimed to bring together European universities, companies, and sports bodies and institutions to discuss the challenges and opportunities for ERASMUS+mobility of dual career at tertiary education level.
During the first day, an overview of the SAMEurope project was provided and the key deliverables Guide of Good Practices (https://www.sameuropeproject.eu/guide-of-good-practices/) an online platform (https://www.sameuropeproject.eu/platform/) and a sociological study (https://www.sameuropeproject.eu/sociological-study/) for ERASMUS+ mobility opportunities at tertiary educational level have been illustrated. Furthermore, the Tri’Crit’Race sport event has been presented, an an overview of the mission, vision and activities of the EAS network has been offered.
On the second day, hosted at Matmut Stadium, participants explored the INSA Lyon high-level sport programme and joined a round table on how international mobility benefits dual career university students, with insights from athletes, companies, and alumni. The event concluded with the presentation of a sociological study on employers’ perceptions of dualcareer graduates and discussions on collaborations for further improvements of European actions at higher educational level. In fact, it is essential to support dual career university students so they can succeed both in their academic journey and in their future professional careers. The ideas proposed by the SAMEurope project were very well received by the audience, with the actual partners of the consortium expressing their approval and support, and new potential partners showing interest in joining the initiative and the platform.
A final wrap-up outlined key takeaways and the path forward for dual career support in Europe. In fact, this event provided an opportunity to strengthen ties between crucial stakeholders in charge of supporting DC students, from both the sport and the academic environments and it was the right place to address any remaining questions, creating meaningful discussions about the future of SAMEurope.
On May 19, 2025, the 16th EAS Cafè “Sport Innovation: Promoting Employability of Student-Athletes and Sport Professionals” was organized in cooperation with the ERASMUS+Sport COMPATH project (101050955) and attended by approximately 70 participants from diverse backgrounds, including students, academics, and sports professionals.
Mr. Hakon Ege (Colin Collective Innovation, Oslo, Norway) illustrated the aims and outcomes of the COMPATH project (101050955), introduced the speakers, and moderated the discussion on how emerging sports technologies are reshaping career opportunities within the sports industry.
Ms. Eleni Mageirou, MSc (NYSA Sweden, Jönköping, Sweden) presented practical examples on the wearable technologies used in field sport evaluation, which also nurture advanced skills of athletes involved in their personal and team data collections and interpretations. Dr. Christopher James Keating, PhD (ACSM-EP, UCAM, Murcia, Spain) gave an overview of the Esports and EGaming of university Spanish teams participating in national and international competitions, which are provided full logistic, psychological, and dual career support, being eSport athletes officially included in dual career university paths. Finally, dr. Mauro Mandorino, PhD (Parma Calcio, Parma, Italy) highlighted the opportunities provided by smart science and how technology is used, and data collection is organized at Parma Calcio for shaping professional soccer players performances.
The shared expertise of the speakers inspired attendees to delve deeper into topics of interest and foster meaningful discussions around dual career pathways, making this event a success and looking forward to continuing these valuable discussions in the future.
The event also informed on the upcoming events encompassing the 2025 Bengt Nybelius Scholarship (deadline July 1, 2025; https://www.dualcareer.eu/call-for-papers-bengt-nybelius-scholarship-2025/) and the 2025 EAS Annual Conference to be held on October 6-8, 2025 in Riga, Latvia. These announcements were met with enthusiasm, further underlining the growing importance of dual career initiatives in sport.
Further information about the COMPATH project – Promoting Employability of Young Student-Athletes through ‘‘Competence Hub’’ on Sport Innovationis – is available at https://sportsinnovationshub.com
COMPATH is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
On May 16, 2025, the Partners of the FIND ME ERASMUS+Sport project gathered in Oslo, Norway, to participate in the third transnational meeting, hosted by Collective Innovation AS (COLIN). FIND ME aims to support student-athletes by providing a multilingual, user-friendly platform to access dual career opportunities in higher education.
Burak Caliskan and Ege Hakon welcomed the participants and summarized the progression of the project, including the two scientific papers summarizing the evidence- (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1566208/abstract) and eminence-based (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1507951/full?utm_source=F-NTF)
research necessary to develop a sound FIND ME platform. The Partners agreed to further analyse the findings of the FIND ME survey and semi-structured interview to be disseminated to the scientific community.
Matteo Perissinotto (OKKAM), presented the technical architecture of the platform, including its multilingual and modular design, and highlighted the data gathering based on previous research and stakeholder inputs. Then, the Partners discussed how to engage universities in the project, also considering the resources available at www.whed.net. Nenad Stojiljkovic (University of Nis) proposed to increment the visibility of FIND Me through promotional gadget with the project logo (e.g., bags, notebooks, patches, etc.), whereas partners will keep sharing posts and pictures of the project activities and communication/dissemination.
At the end of the meeting, the Partners had the opportunity to visit the museum of winter sports and the sky jumping trampoline.
More information on the project will be provided during the 2025 EAS Conference to be held in Riga, Latvia, next October 6-8.
FIND ME is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
REG. NUMBER: Voluntary Organisation registration VO/1270
PIC NUMBER: 913459865
Email: info@dualcareer.eu