Author: duponam

The Compath Project meeting we held on 17^th September in Zagreb, with the participation of all project partners, was completed. The meeting started with an opening speech by Renato Vuk on behalf of PESG. Vuk briefly mentioned the work done so far in the project and outlined the general flow of the meeting and the topics to be discussed. Following this, Håkon Ege from COLIN introduced the gamification-based digital “Competence Hub” platform, which will be developed within the scope of Work Package 3, aimed at sports innovation. Ege explained that this platform is designed to foster and share innovative approaches in the world of sports. Access to the platform will be provided via https://portal.sportsinnovationshub.com, and after registering, all participants had the opportunity to explore its features and usage details. During this review, Resul Erhan, the representative of MOBAD, gave a comprehensive presentation about the technical details of the platform, providing information on its infrastructure and technical operation. Additionally, Ege mentioned that the platform would be ready for testing within a week, and partners would be able to provide feedback on it.

The second session of the meeting continued with a detailed review of the tasks within Work Package 4. In this session, Håkon Ege from COLIN gave a presentation about the tasks, roles, responsibilities, and the contributions of project partners under this work package. The distribution of modules among project partners was also clarified during this presentation. Each module was distributed according to the expertise of the project partners, and the roles and responsibilities of each partner were detailed. These modules will be added to the project’s digital learning platform to create educational content focused on sports innovation.

In addition, various local and international events under Work Package 4 were outlined in the second session. Under this work package, it was planned to organize local training seminars for trainers, teachers, and experts in five countries (Norway, Poland, Croatia, the United Kingdom, and Sweden). Guidelines, checklists, and feedback forms to be used in these seminars were presented by Ege to all partners. It was also agreed that local thematic workshops would be organized for student-athletes in these five countries, with a deadline for completion set for October 20, 2024.

Another important event discussed was the international workshop to be held in Oslo. This workshop, scheduled for October 28-29, 2024, will host 12 young participants. Each project partner will be responsible for sending a designated number of participants to this international event.

The topic of testing the digital platform was also addressed. It was decided that the platform would be tested by a total of 120 young athletes from eight countries, with 15 participants from each country taking part in the digital learning activities. This testing phase was considered a critical step in terms of platform functionality and user experience. Finally, community-building activities were planned, with six hybrid (physical/digital) meetings and various webinars to be organized throughout the project. These events aim to raise awareness in the field of sports innovation and reach a wider audience.

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.

Based on the collaboration between EAS and the Italian Society of Movement and Sports Science “SISMES”, on September 20, 2024, President Laura Capranica and dr. Enrico Montaperto from the Directorate of Education of the Italian University Ministry (MUR) co-moderated the symposium “International and National Policies for Dual Career” at the XV Annual SISMeS Conference held at the University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy https://www.sismes.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Programma-SISMeS-2024-Chieti_per-sito.pdf.

Navy Captain Roberto Recchia, Secretary General of the International Council of Military Sports (CISM), addressed the opportunities and challenges of military sport in the athlete’s path during and after their sports career. Dr. Andrea Carletti, presented the activities of EPAS-Council of Europe towards an ethical, inclusive, and safe sport, including the focus session on “Dual Career: Effective Strategies and Future Directions” to be held during the 18th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport of the Council of Europe to be held in Porto next October 10, 2024. Prof. Paolo Bouquet (University of Trento) reported the Italian experiences in promoting dual career through the Unisport Italia network, including the recent survey on the dual career policies and provisions offered by 56 higher educational institutions (HEI). Prof. Pascal Izzicupo (University of Chieti-Pescara) reported on the guidelines for HEIs of the More Than Gold (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/603346-EPP-1-2018-1-LV-SPO-SCP) and the differences in the HEI-experts’ and student-athletes’ perceptions of the quality of policies and provisions in Italy, Malta, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain carried on as a deliverable of the FIND ME https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101134043 ERASMUS+ Collaborative Partnerships. Finally, dr. Flavia Guidotti (University San Raffaele-Roma) presented the dual career paths of Italian female soccer players who recently achieved a sport professional status.

At the end of the Symosium, Prof. Angela Di Baldassarre, SISMEeS President (University of Chieti-Pescara) and Prof. Cristina Cortis SISMES Youth Committee (University of Cassino and Southern Lazio) presented a Recognition Plaque to President Laura Capranica for her commitment to the advancement of dual career in Italy .

This event was a tremendous opportunity to reflect on several aspects of dual career of the sportspersons in different context and to envisage further collaborations.

The SISMeS conference represented an opportunity to inform more than 500 Italian scholars on the expected actions and future outcomes of the ongoing ERASMUS+ Collaborative Partnerships COMPATH, DiscoverU, DCMENTOR, FIND ME, SMART START for DC, and TALENT, and the Capacity Building project Sports as Value

The IV International Scientific Conference “SIDUCA” was held in São Paulo from September 16 to 18, 2024, held in the Brazilian Paralympic Committee Center, a modern training center which is house for all the Paralympic sports. The conference was organized by the Associacao Brasileira sobre Dupla Carreira Esportiva (ABDC), under the patronage of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee and the Brazilian Sports Ministry.

The President of ABDC, Prof. Felipe Rodrigues Da Costa welcomed more than 90 Brazilian students, scholars and researchers, 11 key lecturers, and 4 international guests from Europe and South Korea. llustrated the European and South Korean approached to dual career: Professor Laura Capranica, President of EAS  from Foro Italico University of Rome (Italy), who shared insights into the importance of European cooperation through the EAS network and the ERASMUS+ projects; Professor António J. Figueiredo Member of the EAS Executive Board from University of Coimbra (Portugal), who presented the opportunities to the conciliation of educational system and sports talents in light of the Portuguese 2019 decree law; Professor Cristina Lopez-de-Subijana from INEF Madrid (SPAIN), who presented the athletes’ challenges of the sport career trajectories in light of economic aspects, till the transition from sports to labor market; and Mr. Ha Gel Lee from the South Korean Paralympic Committee, who illustrated the national dual career programme supporting para-athletes. At the end of each day, the short presentations of young researchers substantiated the vivid Brazilian dual career discourse.

The last day, Dr. Iziane Marques, National Segretary for Sport Excellence (SNE) presented the policy agenda for the support of athletes and their transition to the labour market, including the development of national guidelines expected in the next months with the cooperation of national experts and scholars and Prof. Lopez-de-Subjana and Antonio J Figueiredo as European experts.

The conference represented a tremendous sport diplomacy opportunity through raising the awareness of the outcomes of past EU-Funded Projects, and the expected actions and future outcomes of the ongoing ERASMUS+ Collaborative Partnerships COMPATH, DiscoverU, DCMENTOR, FIND ME, SMART START for DC, and TALENT, and the Capacity Building project Sports as Value.

Further information is available at https://www.dcbrasil.org

The second transnational meeting of the FIND ME project, a significant initiative financed by the European Union for dual career athletes at the university level, was held on September 5-6 in Chieti, Italy, hosted by Universita Degli Studi Gabriele D’annunzio Di Chieti.

This meeting marks a crucial stage of the project, bringing participants together to advance the project’s development. Important steps were taken regarding the content and structure of the FIND ME platform, and all work packages within the project were evaluated in detail.

The opening of the meeting was conducted by Pascal Izzicupo from the host institution, Chieti-Pescara Gabriele D’Annunzio University. In his opening speech, Izzicupo discussed the importance of the project and the contributions of the participants.

Nenad Stojiljković from the University of Niš Faculty of Sports and Physical Education provided a general presentation of the project. Stojiljković gave detailed information about the project’s overall goals, the progress made so far, and future plans.

Another significant part of the meeting was the presentation by Pascal Izzicupo on the opinions of Experts and Sport-Academics (S-As) regarding Dual Career support services under WP2. Izzicupo provided valuable insights into the current services for dual career support across Europe and the improvements needed in this field.

One of the key moments of the meeting was the detailed presentation of the FIND ME platform by Matteo Perissinotto from OKKAM s.r.l. Perissinotto provided comprehensive information about the platform’s functionality, user experience, and operations, explaining the platform’s processes in detail to the partners. Project partners engaged in productive discussions on how the platform could assist athletes in balancing their academic and athletic careers.

The Collective Innovation team, responsible for dissemination activities, shared the results of social media engagement achieved so far. The project’s social media strategies and plans for reaching wider audiences were discussed in this section. Burak Caliskan shared plans for upcoming dissemination activities with the participants, presenting strategies to enhance the project’s impact.

After the meeting, participants had the opportunity to explore the historical beauty of Chieti. The meeting concluded with a pleasant dinner featuring pizza and pasta, after a museum visit showcasing the university’s rich cultural heritage.

We are excited to open a new door to the future of dual career athletes with the FIND ME project.

At the “EUSA Forum 2024: Synergies in university sport development” held on July 13, 2024 at the University of Debrecen, Hungary, EAS presented the outcomes of the Erasmus+ Sport projects useful for helping higher educational institutions (HEIs) implementing their dual career policies and provisions for university student-athletes. After urging the participants to navigate the friendly-user platform of completed or ongoing EU-funded projects (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects), the main outcomes of the AMID (Actual situation on DC migrating athletes at HEIs), ESTPORT (the European “Sport Tutorship” model for HEIs), PARA-LIMITS (The guidelines for university career of athletes with disability), and More Than Gold (the Guidelines and Manual to Strengthen Dual Career policies at HEIs) were presented also in light of the Erasmus+Sport project DiscoverU project, which aims to encourage the participation in sport and physical activity by promoting  and supporting sport and education of university students.

In targeting organisations that directly or indirectly deal with sport in tertiary education, DiscoverU represents a tremendous opportunity to progress both the European dual career and university sports. The presence of EAS and the other DiscoverU partners at the EUSA Games 2024 highlights the importance of collaboration and involvement of educated youth in sports for the development of future leaders who will contribute to the advancement of a European sport culture.

On July 14, 2024, the hird transnational meeting of the DiscoverU was held at the University of Miskolc, Hungary. This meeting was intended to discuss the progression of the research and the educational phases of the project, as well as the implementation of the communication and dissemination of the project findings.

Further information on the DiscoverU project will be provided at the EAS Conference in Katowice next October 1-3, 2023.

The DiscoverU 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.

On July 5 and 6, 2024, MindSpin hosted the second transnational meeting of the Erasmus+ Sport project ”Smart Start for DC” in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Funded by the Erasmus+Sport programme, the SMART START for DC (SS4DC) project aims 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 second transnational meeting was intended to discuss the educational content focused on communication style and assertiveness, social interactions, emotional intelligence, listening skills, leadership skills, setting goals, organizational skills and responsibility, teamwork and collaboration, desire for continuous learning and application of knowledge, critical thinking, and respect for diversity. Based on the outcomes of national desk analyses, interviews with experts, and responses to a survey administered to youth student-athletes in Croatia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Italy, Malta and Turkey, the educational modules were presented and evaluated, and the next steps for platform and MOOC development were discussed, along with Management and Dissemination subjects.

Further information on the project will be provided at the EAS Conference in Katowice next October 1-3, 2023.

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.

On June 25, 2024 the Partners of the Collaborative Partnership Sports as Value have met in Podgorica, Montenegro. Coordinated by ENGSO, the Olympic Committees of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, the Confederacao do desporto de Portugal (PSC), the University of Pristina, the Organizzazione per l’Educazione allo Sport (OPES), and EAS contributed to promote the EU sports values in the Balkan area by integrating the sport practice at the grassroots level in a structured, dynamic and systematic way to create sustainable, long-lasting partnerships in this historically fragmented region.

During the first part of the day the Partners discussed the previous activities and planned the next steps of the project, including the dissemination of the results and the final conference.

To promote sport values for peaceful and more connected societies through interactive activities, the Montenegrin Olympic Committee organized a joint action on Olympic Day with UNHCR and local clubs, during which local children and children from refugee backgrounds participated together to different sports tournaments.

On 21 November 2024, the final conference of Sports as Value will be organised in Prostina, Kosovo, as part of the European Sport Platform, 2024.

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.

As part of the 2nd International Scientific Conference 4 Healthy Academic Society, organized by the Croatian Academic Sports Federation in the city of Porec from May 30th to June 1st, the second in-person partners’ meeting of the project Discovering university sport and supporting dual career (DiscoverU) took place.

Representatives of all project partners met in Porec on May 30th  – 31st of May.

Mr Simone De Luca, representing EUSA and its Institute, provided a general overview of the project, recalling its purpose and methodology and the role assigned to each partner, summarizing all the phases and activities undertaken so far and those still to be addressed.

Following the project overview, the representative of the European Athlete as Student network (EAS), Prof. Mojca Doupona, took the stage to inform all partners about the communication and dissemination activities related to the project. A practical demonstration on how to manage the uploading and updating of activities records through the use of the Sigma platform in the Funding & Tenders Portal Submission System of the European Commission was given. As a result, a common need was identified to thoroughly track all communication and dissemination activities carried out by all partners, including milestones and final deliverables, according to project deadlines.

Regarding the Action Plan and coming up activities, important information were also shared.

The partners agreed to meet again in person in Hungary in July during the European University Games 2024, where they will have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of side activities scheduled from 11 to 14 July.

The 3-year project, co-funded by the European Union, aim to improve sport and physical activity opportunities for students in higher education on one hand, addressing larger student population; and at the same time promote and support dual career in higher education in partnering countries. This will be achieved by gathering information, sharing good practice examples and implementing sports and educational activities.

More details about the DiscoverU project can be found on https://discoveru.eusa.eu

Co-Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily re ect 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.

The 4^th Transnational Partners’ Meeting took place on the 3^rd and 4^th of June 2024, in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was hosted by the Center for Social Innovation and presented by Laura Capranica as president of EAS.

The meeting focused on the the development of the E-STOP platform and the finalisation of the training material and the planning of the piloting phase.

The E-STOP platform will soon be ready and will host the training material in English and all partner languages (Serbian, Croatian, Italian and Greek). It will also host information on national sports committees to create a European network through a map which will be developed through the platform.

During the meeting, the partners agreed on the changes that need to be made to the training material in order to finalise it and begin its translation.

Effective communication and planning followed, to set the context and structure of the piloting phase. During the piloting, the partnership will involve 72 teachers and 72 coaches, and will provide training sessions using the educational material of TALENT. An essential part of the piloting is the evaluation which teachers and coaches will provide after the end of the piloting. The partnership will use the valuable feedback and adjust the material to better suit the needs of teachers and coaches.

Overall, the meeting in Cyprus was super-efficient and all partners are eager to reach out to teachers and coaches and share the project’s educational material.

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.

The sixth Consortium Board meeting of the Erasmus+ Sport project TALENT (Cloud-based education for creative sport talents) convened online on May 15th, 2024.

Attended by representatives from each partnering organization in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Serbia, Greece, Cyprus, and Malta, the meeting focused on reviewing progress within Work Package 4 (Recognition of talented children – development of training materials). Discussions centered on refining and enhancing the existing training materials. Furthermore, the coordinator CI SDZ provided updates on advancing the E-STOP platform and User Guidelines, underscoring the submission of Guidelines to the Agency and their forthcoming translation into national languages across partner countries. Planning for the upcoming project meeting on June 3-4 in Nicosia, Cyprus was also addressed during this session, with the Board collaborating to develop the agenda. All partners are actively engaged in dissemination efforts, with plans underway for creating project-related videos and Reels to amplify outreach and engagement.

The Talent project 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.