Author: duponam
On December 5, 2025, the FIND ME Team met online to discuss the advancement of the project. Funded by the ERASMUS+Sport programme (101134043), the three-year FIND ME project primarily aims to structure an evidence-based European platform specifically tailored for dual career at university level.
During the first two years, the FIND ME Team published scientific evidence on the needs and expectations of sportspersons (athletes, coaches, physical trainers, referees, sports managers, volunteers) as university students and on the implementation of dual career at European higher education institutions according to the student-athletes’ and experts’ views.
After having collected the contact persons of European universities, starting from January 2026 the FIND ME coordinator will send them a FIND ME invitation letter asking to provide relevant data to populate the FIND ME platform for helping student-athletes finding the most suitable study programmes for their dual careers. Stay tuned.
The FIND-ME: University Dual Career Opportunities project [ERASMUS+Sport, 101134043) 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 November 24, 2025, the 19th EAS Cafè was organized to discuss the relevance of soft skills for the employability of athletes at the end of their sport career and to raise the awareness of the educational platform for young athletes (https://SS4DC.eu) now available thank to the collaborative efforts of the ERASMUS+Sport SmartStart4DC consortium (101133555).
Prof. Cristina Cortis (University of Cassino and Lazio Meridionale, Italy) welcomed around 100 participants and moderated the interesting questions addressed at the endo of the speakers’ presentations.
The Cafè was opened by Mrs. Vedrana Malec who illustrated how her outstanding athletic cross-country skiing helped her improving different soft skills, which are extremely useful for her professional careers, followed by Mr. Sebastian Harry Lloy Algie, who highlighted how soft skills helped him as a basketball athlete in different contexts and a student in physiotherapy, and by Mr. Joseph Tanti who shared his experience as an elite handball athlete in countries with different sport cultures and as a coach of youth teams in Malta. These testimonies stimulated a participated discussion on the important role of soft skills, which are usually lacking in formal educational paths.
To enhance the student-athlete knowledge, competences, and skills, Mr. Renato Vuk, coordinator of the Smart Start for DC, illustrated the SS4DC platform encompassing educational material organized in 10 modules regarding Communication Skills, Social interaction skills, Emotional Intelligence, Listening skills, Leadership, Team-work and Collaboration, Time Management, Desire for Continuous Learning, Critical Thinking, and Respect for Diversity. Whilst the educational course for athletes encompasses videos, text lessons, reflections, and self-assessment tests for each module, the section dedicated to the educators presents manuals and presentations in several languages (e.g., English, Bulgarian, Croatian, Greek, Italian, and Turkish). Furthermore, the platform offers self-assessments for career guidance in sports, labour market, continuing education, and transferable skills. Finally, Mr. Vuk invited the participants to follow the social media of the SS4DC project.
A special thank to mr. Marco Pinchera who translated the speeches in visual-gestural language for the deaf community.
Soft skills are considered crucial for the employability of athletes at the end of their sport career, and the key aim of the ERASMUS+Sport SmartStart4DC project (101133555; https://SS4DC.eu)
On behalf of the EAS Executive Committee, we inform you that the 19th EAS Virtual Cafè on “XXI century skills as a bridge between sport and employability” will be held on Monday November 24, 2025 (from 13:00 CET) zoom meeting: https://uni-lj-si.zoom.us/j/99306210428
13:10 Welcome – Prof. Cristina Cortis, PhD
Cristina Cortis, PhD, is Rector Delegate for Sport and Health at the University of Cassino and Lazio Meridionale, Italy. Her research interests span from determinants of sport performances to dual career of athletes.
13:10 What Sport Has Taught Me About Succeeding in Business and Life – Mrs. Vedrana Malec
Vedrana Malec, Master’s Degree in Journalism, is a three-time Olympian in cross-country skiing. Currently, a project manager in the sports event industry, and a dual career ambassador of the Croatian Olympic Committee. She believes that dedication, discipline, and teamwork are the foundation of personal growth, professional development, and the achievement of long-term goals.
13:20 Dual Careers in the 21st Century: Building a Successful Path Beyond Sport – Mr. Sebastian Harry Lloy Algie
Sebastian Harry Lloy Algie, Bachelor Degree in Physiotherapy, is a former basketball player born in Canada who moved to Italy with his family and started playing basketball till two years ago.
13:30 Pursuing Excellence in Life through Sports – Mr. Joseph Tanti
Joseph Tanti, Master’s in Science of Sports Coaching, is a teacher of Physical Education, a handball coach, and Sports Promotion teacher in Malta. He spent three years at the Aarhus Sports Academy in Denmark where he coached a women’s handball team.
13:40 Smart start for DC – the Dual Career Journey Starts Here – Mr. Renato Vuk
Renato Vuk, Bachelor Degree in Media Management, is the Head of the Project Management Office at Sports School PESG, where he aims to provide young student-athletes with high access to additional growth opportunities and support in pursuing their dual careers, as through the European SS4DC educational platform.
13:50 General discussions and concluding remarks
Within the opening ceremony of the Italian Society of Movement and Sports Sciences (SISMeS), a dual career symposium on the Italian and European dual career was organized. SISMeS is a partner of EAS and its 2025 conference attracted more than 370 participants, represents the most important event of the sport sciences, addressing research topics spanning from education, health, performance, and public engagement.
Moderated by Prof. Attilio Parisi (SISMeS President), Prof. Giuliana Gobbi (Conference Chair) and Angela Di Baldassarre (SISMeS Past-President), Laura Capranica (EAS President) presented the EU-funded projects and their outcomes targeting athletes (e.g., SmartStart for DC, Springboards, EdMedia, ELCAMP), teachers/tutors (e.g., Talent, Starting11, Estport, DC Mentor, COMPATH), parents (e.g., EMPATIA), universities (e.g., DiscoverU, More Than Gold, FIND ME), and companies (BRAVA DC) available at the European Commission Platform of ERASMUS+ projects (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects). Germano Guerra (President of UniSport Italia and University of Perugia Rector’s Delegate for Sport) illustrated the advancement of Italian DC at university level and the role of the UniSPortItalia Network. Giuliana Gobbi (University of Parma Rector’s Delegate for Sport) described the DC programme at the University of Parma and the collaboration with high schools and the University Sport Association, and Eseos Fostine Desalu (Olympic Gold Medallist Tokyo 2020) provided an inspirational speech for athletes.
Olga Papale, winner of the 2025 Bengt Nybelyus Scholarship, received the Special Mention of the Young Researcher Award for her oral presentation,
Dear friends of Dual Career,
As anticipated during the EAS Conference in Riga last October, we inform you that the 19th EAS Virtual Cafè on “XXI century skills as a bridge between sport and employability” will be held on Monday November 24, 2025 (from 13:00 CET).
We invite you to visit the official website of the ERASMUS-Sport Smart Start 4 DC project (https://SS4DC.eu) where you can explore the Educator Manuals of Communication Skills, Social Interaction, Emotional Intelligence, Listening Skills, Leaderships Skills, Teamwork&Collaboration, Desire for Continuous Learning and Application of Knowledge, Critical Thinking, and Respect for Diversity
In the next days, you can have further information and the link to the Cafè at www.dualcareer.eu.
Together with the meeting of the ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Partnership AthleteConnect (ACON), on October 29 and 30, 2025 the University Sports Association of Poland (AZS) celebrated in Warsaw (Poland) the Polish governmental programme of dual career with an event encompassing the Annual University Sport Congress, an international Conference on Dual Career, and a Gala to honour the major achievements of the Polish University Sport.
During the international Conference the EAS President, Laura Capranica, provided an overview of the European dual career, including the opportunities offered by deliverables of some European Collaborative Partnerships for athletes (e.g., SmartStart for DC, Springboards, EdMedia, ELCAMP), teachers/tutors (e.g., Talent, Starting11, Estport, DC Mentor, COMPATH), parents (e.g., EMPATIA), universities (e.g., DiscoverU, More Than Gold, FIND ME), and companies (BRAVA DC) available at the European Commission Platform of ERASMUS+ projects (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects).
Andrej Pisl illustrated the mission, activities, events and projects of the European University Sports Association (EUSA), highlighting the role of dual career to enhance the university impact and visibility through the ongoing ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Partnership Discovering University Sport and Dual Career (DiscoverU).
Spartaco Grieco presented the activities of the sports club APS ASD Margherita Sport e Vita (Italy), which is involved in several European projects focused on the dual career support of youth athletes, including Smart Start for DC.
Johanna Perrier explained the vision, activities, programmes of the French Sport Foundation with special focus on the creation of a support community for talented athletes, including a dedicated platform for individuals and businesses to engage in tax-deductible donations to support the specific needs of youth athletes.
Finally, Kristiana Kazandzhieva from the Bulgarian Olympic Committee provided an overview of the ACON project on dual career and its main outcomes.
Moderated by Krzysztof Sedzicki, medallists at the 2025 Summer University Games Maksymilian Szwed (track and field-gold), Przemysław Konecki (compound archery-bronze), Szymon Piatkowski (taekwondo-silver) and Aleksandra Leszczynska from AZS Lodz and Karol Bar from AZS AWF Katowice participated in a panel discussion and provided their personal experiences, the past and actual challenges, and vision of future transitions.
Aleksandra Leszczynska (AZS Lodz) moderated the last panel session with Rector Alojzy Z. Nowak, (University of Warsaw and President of the Academic Sports Association), Piotr Borys (Ministry of Sport and Tourism), Rector Bartosz Molik (University of Physical Education, Warsaw), Prof. Adam Zając (Vice-Rector for Sport at the University of Physical Education, Katowice) who discussed the relationships between national and local governments, and university sport bodies.
After the conference, a special Gala celebrated the major achievements and successes in the field of university sport in Poland, from the athletes to the university sport organizations and the universities.
The European Week of Winter Sport (EWWS) is a European initiative celebrating inclusive, sustainable, and accessible winter sport experiences for all.
From 1 to 8 February 2026, schools, clubs, municipalities, and organizations across Europe will organise local activities under a shared European movement.
Would you like to join and become part of this campaign?
Take part in the upcoming international webinar “Become an Event Organizer during the European Week of Winter Sport 2026”, taking place on Tuesday, 19 November(10:00–11:00 CET).
During this session, participants will learn:
- How to register their activities as part of the EWWS 2026;
- How to gain visibility at European level;
- How to align with EWWS key values: inclusion, sustainability, and community engagement.
Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/aN38bGZ9RbiKrEpjpFKhxg
Join the movement, get inspired, and make your community part of the European Week of Winter Sport 2026!
More information: https://wintersportweek.com
October 16, 2025
The FIND ME Erasmus+ Project, running until 2027, aims to create an evidence-based European platform that helps athletes find the best dual career opportunities at university level across Europe, in line with the EU Guidelines on Dual Careers of Athletes, by bringing together experienced partners and institutions from national, European, and international dual career networks to enhance visibility and quality of educational and athletic pathways.
The FIND ME Project is led by the University of Niš, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education (Serbia), in partnership with the University “G. D’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara (Italy), University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), University “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” of Iași (Romania), International University of La Rioja SA (Spain), OKKAM SRL (Italy), The European Athlete as Student – EAS (Malta), and Collective Innovation.
On October 6-8, 2025, the University of Latvia hosted the Annual EAS Conference and General Assembly in Riga, Latvia. Eighty-two delegated from 17 countries attended the event, appreciated the 29 oral presentations reporting dual career programmes, projects, and policies, and enthusiastically participated in three workshops, six activity breaks and two long walks organized to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the #BeActive Programme.
During the opening ceremony, Prof. Ilvis Abelkalns, President of the Organizing Committee, welcomed the participants, followed by Enno Ence, Vice Rector of University of Latvia, EAS President Laura Capranica, Raimonds Lazdiņš, President of National Olympic committee, and Agita Ābele, President of Latvian Universities Sports Federation.
A key lecture on the ERASMUS+ funding opportunities on Dual Careers by Izabela Pelczynska (European Education and Culture Executive Agency – EACEA) was crucial to stimulate the envisioning of further collaborations between the participants. Sara Massini, Secretary General of ENGSO, presented the continuum between grassroot and elite sport and signed a Memorandum of Understanding between EAS and ENGSO.
Fernando Parente, FISU Executive Committee member, presented International University Sports Federation (FISU) and Dual Career – a global approach for stakeholders; Edgars Pukinsks, Deputy State Secretary for Sports and Youth Affairs, Ministry of Education and Science Republic of Latvia, addressed the topic Legacy Dual careers – double impact, double responsibility; the session was closed by Joerg Foerster (German University Sport Federation- ADH) who illustrated the Legacy of the FISU World University Games, focusing on the Dual Career of Student-Para-Athletes.
The Bengt Nybelius Scholarship winner Olga Papale from the University of Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale, Italy, presented “Eating Right, Sleeping Tight? The Evaluation of the Student-Athlete Paradox”.
In the afternoon, Felipe Rodrigues da Costa, president of the Brazilian Association of Dual Career presented Challenges and opportunities for implementing and developing a student-athlete support program in the Federal District (Brazil). Then three Working Group Activities addressed the following topics: 1) Dual Career in High School, Transition from High School to University, Dual Career in Universities, and Transition from a Sports Career to Employment.
On the second day, the Conference was organized at the Rimi Olympic where Ruta Millere Celmiņa from the Latvian Olympic Committee, presented Elite Level Athletes’ Awareness and Use of Dual-Career Programs in Latvia; Klāvs Olšteins, from the Latvian Basketball Union addressed the topic Basketball – as an opportunity to earn an education; and Jacopo Bouquet from Sport4impact, Italy, illustrated Dual Career from the perspective of SDG17 and PPPs. The following presentations were dedicated to “Focus on the transition from university to the job market: initiative by AU Elitesport” (Anna-Lena Toft Petersen, AU Elitesport, Aarhus University, Denmark), “Updating Dual Career Self-Management in Individualized Mentor-Mentee Collaboration in Sports and Studies” (Agita Ābele, Latvian University Sports Federation), “University mentoring network to facilitate the dual career of athlete-students” (Antonio Sánchez-Pato, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Spain), “Sustainability Perceptions Among Young Tennis Players: Insights from the European GreenTennis Project” (María José Maciá Andreu from UCAM Universidad Católica de Murcia, Spain), “Advancing Athlete Employability through Career Mentorship and Education” (Gamze Aydın, Sportstech, Türkiye), and “Improving the support to student athletes with international mobility” (Dorothée Brac de la Perriere, INSA Lyon, France), “Advancing Training and Support for Dual Career Officers Throughout Europe” (Juan Alfonso Garcia Roca, UCAM, Spain), ”Finnish high school student athletes’ perceptions of the implementation of the dual career” (Pertti Huotari, University of Jyväskylä, Finland), “PORTAL Project: Building an Inclusive European Platform for Olympians’ Post-Career Transitions” (Francesca Di Rocco, San Raffaele Open University of Rome, Italy), “ERASMUS Sport Project – FIND ME: University Dual Career Opportunities“ (Nenad Stojiljković, University of Nis, Serbia), “Designing and Evaluating a Stakeholder-Informed Mobile App to Promote Physical Activity in Children: The Walk Around the Earth Erasmus+ Project” (Cristina Cortis, University of Cassino and Lazio Meridionale, Italy), “Elevate DC – Building the Future of Elite Athlete Careers in Latvia” (Owen Southgate, NYSA, Sweden). “Choosing Non Teaching Paths in PETE: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Dual Career University Footballers” (Rıdvan Çakir, Şırnak University, Turkiye), “Fostering Success in Young Biathletes: Addressing Cultural and Educational Challanges” (Mojca Doupona, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia), “Books, Boxing, Belonging: The Case of Turkish Female Student-Athlete Duo” (Kıvanç Semiz, RTEU, Turkiye), “Perception of barriers in dual careers and the importance given to psychological characteristics in athletes in training: a gender perspective” (Juan Alfonso Garcia Roca, UCAM, Spain), “Winning in life, winning in sport” (Anda Paegle, University of Latvia; “Andara plus”, Latvia), “Supporting High Level Athletes at INSA, France” (Harve Bizzoto, INSA LYON, France), and “Forms of support for the student athletes in the Academy of Physical Education in Katowice” (Rajmund Tomik, Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Poland).
Pekka Fredriksson, Jani Syrjala, and Ismo Miettinen (Kastelli Upper Secondary Sport School, Oulu, Finland), presented the 2026 EAS Conference to be held in Oulu, Finland, on October 5-7, 2026, whereas Hakan Ege (Collins Innovation, Oslo, Norway) launched the Europe’s Sport Knowledge Hub at https://voicesport.eu.
The Annual General Assembly was directed by the EAS Secretary Ole Keldorf. The members approved the activity report presented by the President Laura Capranica and the financial report presented by the Treasurer Mojca Doupona. The Assembly approved also the Cristina Cortis’ proposal to consider “Sports” as the scientific journal of EAS. Furthermore, the Assembly confirmed Flavia Guidotti, Alejandro Alejandro Leiva-Arcas, and Malene Knudsen as Members of the Next Generation EAS Committee, which will be responsible to assign the 2026 Bengt Nybelius Award and to collaborate to the enhancement of the communication channels of the Network.
During the Conference, the participants had also the opportunity to visit the University of Latvia, the Rimi Olympic Center infrastructure and facilities, the Olympic Museum, the beautiful Riga architectures, and to attend the Gala Dinner.
From October 6 to 8, the 22nd Annual International Conference “European Athletes as Students” (EAS) will take place at the University of Latvia in Riga, Latvia.
This year’s main theme, “Dual Careers of Elite Athletes: Integrating Sport and Education for Future Success,” focuses on how educational systems and sports organizations can collaborate to ensure a sustainable future for athletes.
The EAS Conference has become an important annual platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience among representatives of sports federations, universities, and sports schools, ERASMUS+ project partners, and dual career experts. The event features presentations of scientific research, examples of best practices, and opportunities for developing cooperation in future projects. Traditionally, the conference also includes the presentation of the Bengt Nibelius Scholarship, awarded to outstanding young researchers in the field of dual careers.
This year’s conference will gather around 70 participants from 16 European countries and Brazil—including professors, researchers, representatives of national Olympic committees, sports schools and academies, as well as students. Among the participants will also be representatives from the European Parliament, the Latvian Ministry of Education and Science, the Latvian Olympic Committee, the Latvian Basketball Association, and international organizations such as FISU and ENGSO.
Conference participants will explore innovative strategies and policy frameworks that support the academic and athletic development of young athletes. The program will also include practical examples from leading European universities (in Spain, Italy, and Germany), youth sports schools (in Denmark and Finland), as well as experiences from Brazil. Discussions and working groups will serve as a platform for developing new ideas and projects in the field of dual careers.
Professor Ilvis Abelkalns of the University of Latvia emphasizes:
“For the University of Latvia, this is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to supporting student-athletes’ education, while also learning from practices implemented elsewhere in Europe. It is also a chance to contribute actively to the work of EAS—for example, the ERASMUS project ‘More than Gold’ initiated by the University of Latvia in 2021 developed guidelines for governments and universities that formed the basis for including dual career provisions in the new edition of the Latvian Sports Law.”
The open and friendly atmosphere of EAS conferences has always encouraged the creation of new initiatives, strengthened cooperation, and fostered the development of lasting professional relationships.
The official conference page: https://eas2025.lu.lv/
REG. NUMBER: Voluntary Organisation registration VO/1270
PIC NUMBER: 913459865
Email: info@dualcareer.eu