EVENTS
– 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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On May 14 and 15, 2025, the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) of the Council of Europe (COE) held the annual meeting of its Governing Board and Consultative Committee in Strasbourg, France.
On May 14 the 41 country representatives of Governing board and the 30 sports organisations of the Consultative Committee participated in separate in-camera meetings. The Consultative Committee discussed the activities to promote the European Sports Charter, the implementation of its Term of Reference, and the upcoming events. They also elected Guido Battaglia (Centre for Sport and Human Rights) as a member of the bureau to complete the current mandate.
On May 15 the joint meeting and the launch of the new joint project of the European Union and Council of Europe “Sport for All – Promoting inclusion and combating discrimination against persons with disabilities” took place. The EPAS past activities and the implementation of the 2024-2025 strategy and the draft strategy for 2026-2027 were summarized, whereas the draft guidelines on “safer recruitment in sport: human rights-compliant screening of professionals and volunteers in contact with children”, the Resolution on “Collaborative governing and good governance in sport: supporting a fresh approach to match its societal importance”, and the 19th Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport, to be hosted by Monaco in November 2026 were discussed. Then, on the lawn of the Council of Europe the participants took part in a training session of blind football.
For the next two years, the new elected Chair of the Governing Board Bureau will be Solene Charuau (France) whereas Ioanna Paraskevopoulou (Cyprus) will act as Vice-Chair, and Antonio Parrilla (Italy), Simon De Coster (Belgium), Marija Jurcevic (Croatia) and Elnur Mammadov (Azerbaijan) as members. Solene Charuau will also act as the Gender Equality Rapporteur.
More information, is available at www.coe.int/epas.
The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) of the Council of Europe (COE) provided also an opportunity for disseminating the ERASMUS+Sport projects in which EAS is currently collaborating: COMPATH (101050955) https://sportsinnovationshub.com; DC Mentor (101132309) https://dcmentor.eu, DiscoverU (101134052) https://discoveru.eusa.eu, Find Me (101134043) https://findmeproject.net, Smart Start for DC (101133555) https://www.facebook.com/p/Smart-Start-4-DC-61556732943039/, and Talent (101090147) https://talent-edu.eu.
Dear EAS Members and Dual Career Friends,
the EAS Executive Committee wishes you a happy Easter and takes the opportunity to update you on the recent and future activities.
Recent activities
February 20-21: The EAS Executive Board held its first in-person 2025 meeting in Frankfurt (Germany) , during which the activities of the Network have been organized and the 2024 activity and financial reports unanimously approved (https://www.dualcareer.eu/the-eas-executive-committee-meets-in-frankfurt/).
March 17: The EAS President visited the Headquarter of CISM to meet CISM Secretary General Navy Captain Roberto Recchia, CISM Academic Director Lieutenant-Commander Florentia Sfakianou, and dr. Andrea Carletti from Sport4Impact (https://www.dualcareer.eu/eas-meeting-the-international-military-sports-council-cism-and-the-sport-4-impact-in-brussels/).
March 18: The EAS President participated with other stakeholders to a consultative meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) on the role of the EU policies in shaping the European Sport Model (https://www.dualcareer.eu/eas-invited-at-the-european-parliament-as-a-stakeholders-to-the-eu-policies-in-shaping-the-european-sport-model/).
March 31: The 15th EAS online Cafè “From talent identification to talent support” has been organized in cooperation with the consortium of the ERASMUS+Sport TALENT (Cloud-based education for creative sport talents- 101090147) project (https://www.dualcareer.eu/the-15th-eas-cafe-on-dual-career-for-talented-athletes/).
April 1: EAS reminded to send long abstracts (5-15 pages) before April 27, 2025 to be published in the monograph Dual Career in School and University – Innovative Bridges between Sport and Education https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1085273800304586&set=pb.100064659286748.-2207520000
April 10-11: The EAS President participated in the EU Sport Forum 2025 in Kraków, Poland, which provided a unique opportunity to envisage the advancement of EU sport policies through a high-level dialogue. https://www.dualcareer.eu/eu-sport-forum-2025-in-krakow-poland/
April 11: The Talent Team met in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to celebrate the project’s achievements, to share knowledge, and to plan for the future of this impactful project dedicated to fostering equal education, preventing exclusion, and supporting dual careers for young athletes. https://www.dualcareer.eu/talent-project-concludes-successful-final-event-in-sarajevo/
April 14: The Call for the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship has been launched. Researchers up to 40 years of age could be eligible for the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship by submitting as first author an original manuscript related to the scope of EAS before July 1st, 2024 (midnight CET) by e-mail to info@dualcareer.eu. By July 31, 2024, the winner will be informed that EAS will arrange travel, accommodation, and registration at the Annual EAS Conference to be held in Riga, Latvia on October 6-8, 2025. https://www.dualcareer.eu/call-for-papers-bengt-nybelius-scholarship-2025/
April 15: The EAS President participated in the EUSA-NUSA online meeting focused on possible implementation of university sport, during which the new initiatives at EUSA, Croatian Academic Sport Federation, Polish University Sport Association, University of Salerno, Hungarian University Sport Federation, and the Dual Career Network have been presented. https://www.dualcareer.eu/discoveru-at-the-online-eusa-nusa-meeting/
The ongoing EU-funded ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Partnerships
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.
COMPATH (101050955), the Collaborative Partnership coordinated by COLLECTIVE INNOVATION AS (Norway) aims to Promote Employability of Young Student-Athletes through ‘‘Competence Hub’’ on Sport Innovation. Drawing inspiration from the findings from a study on the educational needs of young people who are aiming for a career in sports innovation, and the development of Digital Sport Innovation Competence Hub. The final event will be held in Oslo next May 6, 2025. https://sportsinnovationshub.com
DC Mentor (101132309), the Collaborative Partnership coordinated by Sports Tech Consulting Education Tourism Organization Trade Limited Company (Turkeye) aims to Advancing Athlete Employability through Career Mentorship and Education. In particular, the project is designed to offer assistance to athlete for mitigating their difficulties in pursuing dual careers through tools and solutions in relation to life skills, future skills and 21th century skills. On June 17, 2025, the University of Murcia, Spain, will host the next transnational project meeting. Further information is available at https://dcmentor.eu
DiscoverU (101134052), the Collaborative Partnership coordinated by EUSA (Slovenia) aims to assess qualifications of elite athletes and to prepare them to the labour market. The project will develop e-learning materials for a Future Skills Curriculum, an Athlete Career Mentorship Platform Work, and organize Power up Workshops for Elite Athletes. Events and webinars. Last April 15, DiscoverU presented new opportunities for university sport at the EUSA-NUSA webinar. Further information is available at https://discoveru.eusa.eu
Find Me (101134043), the Collaborative Partnership coordinated by the University of Nis aims to structure an evidence-based European user-friendly platform specifically tailored for dual career at university level. On March 10, 2025, the Find Me Team organized an online meeting to finalize the online platform providing information about dual career opportunities at university level based on the findings of a survey recently published on an open access scientific journal (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1507951/full?utm_source=F-NTF). Further information is available at https://findmeproject.net.
Smart Start for DC (101133555), The Collaborative Partnership coordinated by Sportsko Uciliste PESG (Croatia) aims to encourage the dual career of young high school athletes aged 14 and 19. on February 4, 2025, the SmartStart4DC Team met online to align the goals and methodologies for the creation of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on transversal skills for empowering youth athletes aged 14 to 19 years and helping them juggling training, classes, and personal life (https://www.dualcareer.eu/online-meeting-of-the-smart-start-for-dc-team/). Further information is available at https://www.facebook.com/p/Smart-Start-4-DC-61556732943039/
Talent (101090147), the Collaborative Partnership coordinated by the Uciliste Centar Izvrsnosti Splitsko-Dalmatinske Zupanije Ustanova Za Obrazovanje Odraslih (Croatia) aims to develop a cloud-based education for creative sport talents. Further information is available at https://talent-edu.eu. The Talent Project Consortium Board held its last online meeting on March 4, presented the Talent Guidelines during the 15th EAS cafè on March 31, and held the final transnational meeting in Sarajevo on April 10-11 https://www.dualcareer.eu/talent-project-concludes-successful-final-event-in-sarajevo/. Further information is available at https://talent-edu.eu
Upcoming events
April 27: Deadline for submission of manuscripts to the Monograph Dual Career in School and University – Innovative Bridges between Sport and Education. For further information: prof. Rajmund Tomik (r.tomik@awf.katowice.pl).
April 28-29: Transnational Meeting of the ERASMUS+Sport project Smart Start for DC to be held in Sofia, Bulgaria.
May 6: Final event of the ERASMUS+Sport project COMPATH to be held in Olso, Norvegia.
May 14-15: EAS will participate to the 19th meeting of the EPAS Council of Europe Governing Board and joint meeting with the EPAS Consultative Committee.
May 15-16: The Member of the EAS Executive Committee Laurence Blondel will take part in the event Dual Career & International Mobility: Connect with a network of universities supporting student-athletes, to be held in Lyon (France) by the ERASMUS+Sport SAMEurope Consortium. On May 15, a cocktail party with front row seats to watch the elite cycling Criterium of the Tri’Crit’Races is planned. Registration to the event is required before 20 April at https://www.sameuropeproject.eu/dual-career-event-may-2025/.
May 16-17: Transnational Meeting of the ERASMUS+Sport project Find Me to be held in Oslo, Norvegia.
May-June: The 16th EAS cafè will be organized. Invitation will be posted on the EAS website (https://www.dualcareer.eu)
Bengt Nybelius Scholarship
July 1 (midnight CET): To be eligible for the 2025 Bengt Nybelius Scholarship, applicants up to 40 years of age must submit their original work related to the scope of EAS by e-mail to info@dualcareer.eu. More information is available at (https://www.dualcareer.eu/call-for-papers-bengt-nybelius-scholarship-2025/).
EAS Conference
October 6-8: the University of Latvia will host the 2025 EAS Annual Conference “Dual Career of Elite Athletes: Integrating Sport and Education for Future Success”.The Conference is the most important opportunity for the dual career community to be informed on the best practices at local, regional, and national levels, the findings and outcomes of EU-funded dual career projects, and the recognition of researchers awarded the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship. The final deadline for abstract submission is September 13, 2025.
Special thanks to the EAS Members for renovating their involvement in our Network (https://www.dualcareer.eu/membership/) and to the Members of the EAS Executive Committee for strong commitment to the advancement of the European dual career culture.
Prof. Laura Capranica,
EAS President
The #BeActive Award Ceremony 2024 and the ERASMUS+Sport InfoDay took place in Brussels on November 26 and December 16, respectively.
The #BeActive Award recognizes the individuals and organizations committed to the promotion active lifestyles and sports participation in Europe. Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen (Director-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture) welcomed the 12 finalists of the #BeActive Education, Workplace, Local Hero, and Across Generation award categories and Diana Bianchedi (Chief Strategy Planning & Legacy Officer of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games) delivered a keynote speech. 2024 winners were SportUnion Austria (AUT) for Education, Metropolis of Lyon (FRA) for Workplace, Alessio Bernabo (ITA) for Local Hero, and Foundation of Sport Development Espanola (POL) for Across Generation Awards, respectively. More information om the finalists and the winners is available at https://sport.ec.europa.eu/news/2024-beactive-awards-and-the-winners-are
Following the publication of the ERASMUS+ Programme Guide (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-programme-guide), th e European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) organized in cooperation with the Sport Unit of the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) the ERASMUS+Sport Info Day 2025. This event aims to present the policies in the field of sports and to provide a tremendous platform for networking with potential partners to the funding opportunities available in this area. Sophie Beernaerts (Director of the European Education and Culture Executive Agency – EACEA) welcomed the on-site and remote audience and Glenn Micallef (European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport) introduced the main challenges of his mandate.
The first plenary focused on the key sports policies and development, as well as the stakeholders’ findings from the SHARE 2.0 initiative. The second plenary session was dedicated to the opportunities and challenges experienced by participants of Erasmus+ sport programme. In particular, as a good practice Andrej Pisl (EUSA Institute) mentioned the coordination of the EU-funded project Discovering university sport and supporting dual career (DiscoverU), particularly mentioning EAS as one of its partners. In the afternoon, three parallel sessions addressed opportunities for mobility of sport staff, for applying to the Sport and the Capacity Building main calls. Georg Haussler, Director of Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture closed the event. The recordings and presentations will be available at https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/news-events/events/info-session-erasmus-sport-2025-2024-12-16_en. Deadline for new application to the ERASMUS+projects is March 5, 2025: 17:00 CET.
On November 16th, 2024, EAS was invited to the EUSA celebration of its 25th Anniversary at the monumental site of the University of Vienna, Austria. Th event was organized by the Austrian University Sports Organization and the University of Vienna. The EUSA President, Mr. Adam Roczek, welcomed the EUSA members, the local authorities, the invited guests, and the speakers.
The opening session included a video message by the Austrian Federal Ministry for for Education, Science and Research, Mr. Martin Polaschek, speeches by Prof. Nikolaus Hautsch, Vice-Rector of the University of Vienna and Mr. Leonz Eder, President of the International University Sports Federation contributed to the opening session, and a video message by Mr Spyros Capralos, President of the European Olympic Committees. In line with the Association’s aims of active lifestyles, Mr. Matjaz Pecovnik, EUSA Secretary General, engaged in a 20-min cycling during which he effectively presented the 25-year EUSA work, challenges, milestones, and achievements.
Mr. Lorenz Ursprung moderated the first panel addressing the role of sports in the future of European society. Mr. Adam Roczek, EUSA President; Mr. Leonz Eder, FISU President; Mrs. Filipa Godinho, Pro-Rector of the University of Coimbra; Mr. Michael Wiederer, President of the European Handball Federation; and Prof. Nikolaus Hautsch, Vice-Rector of the University of Vienna not only discussed numerous aspects of the crucial role of sports in higher education, but also envisioned possible development of university sport events and dual career as crucial strategies to implement the actual reality of students as sportspersons and the future life of European citizens. Furthermore, the panel highlighted the importance for higher educational institutions to increase their visibility through the participation in the EUSA University Games and Championships and the university dual career and sports policies. The video on the long-time promotion of healthy, active student community at the University of Vienna and the evidence of the EUSA Games legacy at the University of Coimbra further substantiated the relevance of the common efforts to enhance university sports in Europe. In this regard, the ERASMUS+Sport projects DiscoverU – Discovering university sport and supporting dual career (https://erasmus plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101134052) coordinated by EUSA and Find Me – University Dual Career Opportunities (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101134043) coordinated by the University of Nis could be extremely helpful to advance the European sport discourse at university level.
Mr. Arnold Baca, Head of the Centre for Sports Science and University Sports at the University of Vienna moderated the second panel focused on grassroots and healthy sports at higher institutions. Mr. Elmar Pichl, General Director for Universities in the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, and Research; Prof. Siegfried Walch, MCI Entrepreneurial School Innsbruck; and the athlete as student Ms. Julia Pocksteiner presented possible implementation of university sports to support the need of active lifestyles for the physical and mental health of nowadays students and future professionals.
The ceremony of the EUSA Annual Awards prized several institutions. The Most Active National University Sports Association award was given to the German University Sports Federation (ADH) (accepted by Mr Joerg Forster, President of ADH and founder of EAS), and to the French University Sports Federation (accepted by Mr Cedric Terret, President of the French University Sports Federation). The University of Zagreb received both the Best University Award and the Most Active University Award for winning the highest number of medals across the European Universities Championships and for participating with the highest of athletes (accepted by Prof. Jasenka Ostojic, Vice-Rector of the University of Zagreb; and by by Ms Sanja Curkovic, Vice President of the Zagreb Academic Sports Federation, respectively). Mr. Marin Furcic, (Director) received a Medal of Appreciations for the long-term professional management collaboration of Furki Sport with EUSA, whereas the women’s futsal team of the University of Coimbra was awarded the Enno Harms Fair Play Award, for its outstanding behaviour during an EUSA game in Split, Croatia (received by Mr Renato Daniel Simoes, and Mr Diogo Jorge Lopes from the Coimbra Academic Association).
More information is available at https://www.eusa.eu/outstanding-eusa-conference-2024-held-in-vienna
The 25th Anniversary Gala dinner was held at the Palais Liechtenstein in Vienna, during which the Vienna Opera Ball Orchestra and the Svabek Dance School offered suggestive performances in connection with such a magnificent location. At the end of the 25th year EUSA celebration, awards and gifts were exchanged to signify the long standing dedication in support of the European University Sports. In particular, Mr. Ants Veetousme (Past President of the Estonian Academic Sports Assication), and Prof. Yevgeniy Imas (posthumously – President of the Sports Students’ Union of Ukraine) were attributed the Order of Merit.
More information is available at https://www.eusa.eu/eusa-celebrates-25th-anniversary-with-remarkable-gala
On November 1-2, 2024, EAS has been invited to the 17th ENSE FORUM “Bridging Borders through Sport Education: The Euro-Balkan-Med Perspective, organized by the Sports University of Tirana (Albania).
The event was opened by the Rector Agron Kasa, the Vice Minister of Education and Sport of Albania Endrit Hoxha, and the ENSE President Antonio Tessitore, welcomed the participants.
During the first session focused on Sport Education for Human Rights, Peace and Sport Diplomacy, Cassandra Mactavish (EPAS Senior Project Officer) delivered a keynote on the crucial role of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) of the Council of Europe in the progression of inclusion, human rights, and values through the revised European sport charter. From the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), Jean-Michel De Waele offered a perspective of sports diplomacy as a strategic tool for the European Union’s soft power and cultural Identity. Matthew Muscat-Inglott (Malta College or Arts, Science and Technology) presented the analogies of sports and chivalric disposition, and Kolë Gjeloshaj (Strategic Coordinator to the President of EFPM) illustrated the aims and activities of the European Fair Play Movement, which celebrated its 30th year of existence, including the permanent Fair Play Calendar and its cooperation with EAS.
Laura Capranica, EAS President, opened the second session dedicated to sport education in dual career. She illustrated the crucial role of international cooperation in the implementation of the European guidelines of dual career for the sports persons through finalized and the further advancements throough the ongoing ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Patnerships Talent- Cloud-based education for creative sport talents (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101090147); Smart Start for DC to encourage the dual career of young high school athletes aged 14 and 19 (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101133555); COMPATH – Promoting Employability of Young Student-Athletes through ‘‘Competence Hub on Sport Innovation’’ (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101050955); DiscoverU – Discovering university sport and supporting dual career (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101134052) Discover university sport and dual career support (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101134052); Find Me – University Dual Career Opportunities (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101134043); DCMENTOR – Advancing Athlete Employability through Career Mentorship and Education (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101132309); and the Capacity Building Sports as Value – Building of sport managers and coaches in Balkan region to promote values in and through sport (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/search/details/101093451). The dual career session proceeded with the presentation by Masar Gjaka (UBT College), Winner of the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship, who disclosed the current state and future perspective of dual career in the Republic of Kosovo; Heli Kesämaa (Southern-Eastern Finland University of Applied Science), who illustrated the study proposal of mentor growth and competency building within the GEIN project; and was concluded by Karl Grech (The Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology), who presented a grounded theory study for mentorship as a lifelong developmental relationship for coaches.
The following sessions focused on Physical activity for Health and Wellbeing Promotion (Chaired by Dhimitraq Prifti and Harald Tschan), Sport Education for Social Inclusion, Integration and Gender Equality (Chaired by Elona Mehmeti and Gemma van Vuuren Cassar), Sport Education in Sport Science and PE curricula (Chaired by Dritan Sallaku and Gaetano Raiola), and Sport Training and physical activity for health and wellbeing promotion (Chaired by Elona Mehmeti and Vera Simões).
The second day encompassed oral presentations focused on Sport Education and Innovation in Sport Coaches (Chaired by Fisnik Brovina and Harald Tschan) and the workshop on ICoachKids with a theoretical part (chaired by Arben Kaçurri and Renzo Kerr-Cumbo) and a practical session.
More information is available at https://ust.edu.al/en/enseforum/
On October 10, 2024, the sports representatives from more than 40 European countries, the associations member of the EPAS Consultative Committee, and a group of youth delegates as part of a specific youth initiative gathered in Porto (Portugal) to attend the 18th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport, during which was celebrated the 10th anniversary of the as Macolin Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions.
Organized by the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) of the Council of Europe in co-operation with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, the event addressed collaborative strategies for good governance and inclusivity in and through sports. As part of the first day programme, EAS took part in the meeting of the EPAS Consultative Committee, which was followed by a speed date with the youth participants addressing the possible strategies for fostering policies to progress the sports.
The focus of the second day was on collaborative governing and god governance in sports, with special attention to the adaptation of the rules to move forwards. The last day, a focus session on “Leadership through Gender Equality in Sport & Dual Career: Effective Strategies and Future Directions” was organized with onsite and online modalities. Following a thoruogh discussion on gender equality, the dual career issue was opened by Vitor Pardal (National Coordinator of the High Performance Sports Unit in School, Portugal), who delivered the keynote speech Reconciling School and Sports Success in Portugal focused on the good practice of the UUARE high school programme with 80% of academic success of athletes compared to all students.
Before moderating the dual career panel discussion, the EAS President summarized the 20-year journey of the European dual career discourse, starting from the 2004 European Year of Education in and through Sport (EYES), followed by the publication of the White Paper on Sport in 2007 and of the EU Guidelines on Dual Career of Athletes in 2012, the inclusion of dual career as a priority of the ERASMUS+Sport programme, and the extension of dual career to all the sportspersons (e.g., coaches, physical trainers, referees, sports managers, and volunteers) in 2021. She emphasized the usefulness of the European Portal “Erasmus+ Project Results” (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/projects/) which offers the outcomes of the previous ERASMUS+ Collaborative Partnerships. Also the findings of three systematic literature reviews, were highlighted as crucial resources to help the implementation of dual career programmes. In particular, Laura capranica invited the participants to collect the fliers of the ongoing projects Compath, DC Mentor, DiscoverU, Find Me, Smart Start for DC, Sports as Values, and Talent, made available for the participants.
The President also illustrated how EAS contributes to the European dual career discourse through the organization of: an annual conference, two of them organized in Portugal; the fall and spring EAS online cafès, which give voice to sportspersons and experts on specific dual career topics; the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship awarded to the best paper submitted to the annual EAS conference; the collaboration with several dual career actors through European projects; and the networking with educational institutions, sports bodies, and local, national, and European authorities, as well as with dual career associations established beyond Europe, as substantiated by the collaboration with the Associação Brasileira sobre Dupla Carreira Esportiva (ABDC) fostered by EAS Portuguese members. Finally, she urged actions in dual career for all the sportspersons as students and as workers.
During the panel discussion, Duarte Nuno Fernandes Lopez (Chief of Staff, Secretary of State for Sport, Portugal, and organizer of two EAS Conferences in Lisbon) provided his considerations on the benefits of the Portuguese dual career system for high school and universities. Gévrise Emane, (Lifestyle Athletes Manager at the National Institute for Sport, Expertise and Performance – INSEP, former judo champion, and speaker at a online EAS cafè) discussed how INSEP help athletes in managing the challenges towards long-term success and well-being. Sofia Ramalho (SLBenfica Basketball Female Team Manager, Time out 2.0 Project Manager, International Basketball Federation – FIBA) reported how the crucial aspects of transition from player to team manager helped her supporting athletes in handling dual careers. Andrej Pisl (Communications & Project Manager, European University Sports Association – EUSA, coordinator of the DiscoverU dual career project and speaker at a online EAS Cafè) reminded that EUSA celebrates its 25th anniversary, claimed that university sports id for all students and not only for elite athletes, and reported successful stories of best practices to establish dual career legacy. Andy Criere Martin (Professional surfer and Olympian athlete, and speaker at a online EAS Cafè) illustrated the opportunity to pursue a dual career path by enrolling in an online university, and how the combination of academic studies helped him improving as an athlete and entrepreneur. During the general discussion, the role of parents and coaches and educated dual career service providers were emphasized.
The recording of the gender and dual career event is available at https://www.youtube.com/live/21tdgavFw7M
We had COMPATH project meeting hosted by NYSA Sweden in GIH, Stockholm on February 26. Mojca Doupona presented EAS at the meeting. We talked about the modules of the COMPATH project will create new opportunities for young professionals in the sports industry at the meeting.
The COMPATH project supports the professional and personal development of young people through a Competence Hub on Sport Innovation.
Special thanks to NYSA for their hospitality.
On January 26-27, 2024, the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) hosted the EAS Executive Board. During a two-day meeting, Ole Keldorf, Antonio Figueiredo, and Laura Capranica proposed activity plans of New Generation Committee (Next GEN EAS), the Scientific Committee, and the Communication Committee, respectively.
Updates on the participation of EAS in the ERASMUS+ Capacity Building Sports as Value (101093451 to build the capacity of sport managers and coaches in Balkan region to promote values in and through sport) and in the Collaborative Partnerships (COMPATH, 101050955 – Promoting Employability of Young Student-Athletes through ‘‘Competence Hub on Sport Innovation’’; Talent, 101090147 – Cloud-based education for creative sport talents; DC MENTOR, 101132309 – Enhancing Athlete Employability through Career Mentorship and Education; DiscoverU, 101134052 – Sport and physical activity opportunities for students in higher education; SMART START for DC, 101133555 – To encourage the dual career of young high school athletes aged 14 and 19; FIND ME, 101134043 – to structure an evidence-based European platform specifically tailored for dual career at university level) were shared.
The Board approved unanimously the 2024 activity and financial reports and envisaged the organization of three online cafès (March, June, and November 2024), the first one dedicated to “Students-Athletes facing the Olympic Games Students. Furthermore, the visit of the EAS ExCom Members Ole Keldorf and Risto Keskitalo to the Academy of Physical Education Katowice (Poland) was planned to prepare the 2024 Annual Conference.
On February 27, 2024, the Academy of Physical Education Katowice (Poland) Vice Rector Rajmund Tomik and the Director of international Relations Piotr Rodak welcomed Ole Keldorf and Risto Keskitalo and showed the venue of the 2024 EAS Annual Conference to be held on October 1-3, 2024. The co-operation between EAS and the host was sealed with Rector Grzegorz Juras.
During the well-prepared meeting, the Conference programme and the practical arrangements have been defined to provide the best opportunities for a EAS members to have a great time in Katowice.
The celebration of the 20th anniversary of the EAS Conference in Katowice, the European City of Science in 2024, is a special opportunity to highlight the contribution of dual career of sportspersons to the advancement of a European culture in and through sports on all aspects of life. In fact, the Conference is dedicated to “Dual career at school and university – innovative bridges between sport and education”
Further information of the 2024 Conference is available at https://eas24.awf.katowice.pl
On January 30, 2024, the EAS President Laura Capranica and Treasurer Mojca Doupona attended with more than 500 participants the Erasmus+ Sport InfoDay organized in Brussels, with others following the event in an streaming modality. Recordings of the main sessions are available at https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/news-events/events/info-session-erasmus-sport-2024-2024-01-30_en, whereas further information on the Erasmus+ Programme is available in the Guide provided in 24 languages at https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-programme-guide.
European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) Acting Director opened the event with Mrs. Iliana Ivanova (European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth) and Mr. Pierre-Yves Jeholet (representative of the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council).
Two plenary sessions were scheduled in the morning, whereas in the afternoon three parallel session and a final plenary session were organized. In the first plenary session, Yves Le Lostecque (Head of Erasmus+ Mundus & Sport Unit, EACEA), Gael Broze (Head of Erasmus+ Sport Sector, EACEA) and Mr. Luciano Di Fonzo, (Deputy Head of Erasmus+ Mundus & Sport Unit, EACEA) introduced the ERASMUS+ Sport Programme, whereas Pawel Jesien (Polish Athletic Association) and Hebe Schaillee (Free University of Brussels) reported their experiences. In the second plenary session, Florencia Van Houdt, (Head of Sport Unit, DG EAC, European Commission), Milena de Murga, (Union of Sport Federations of Catalunya), Carlotta Giussani (European Olympic Committee EU Office), Vassos Koutsidoundas (Cyprus Sports Organisation) and Anna Merlini (Italian Canoe Kajak Federation) addressed the Erasmus+ Sport Policy priorities.
In the afternoon, the three parallel sessions focused on how to apply for Erasmus+ KA2 sport actions, on how to present project proposals, and on how to present a Capacity Building proposals. Among the EU funding opportunities in sports presented in the last plenary session, the Share 2.0 initiative was explained by Luciano Di Fonzo (Deputy Head of Erasmus+ Mundus & Sport Unit at EACEA) and Olivier Smith (Deputy Head of Unit Sport Policy at DG EAC of the European Commission); the Erasmus+ KA1 mobility of sport staff was illustrated by Violeta Birzniece (Sport Unit at DG EAC of the European Commission), and the Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions in the field of sport were described by Izabela Pelczynska (Erasmus+ Sport Sector at EACEA presented Pilot Projects and Preparatory Actions in the field of sport).
Iban Garcia del Blanco (Member of the European Parliament) and Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen (Director General of DG EAC of the European Commission) highlighted the increased budget allocated to sport-specific EU policies in practices, and the growing interest and variety of applications to the funding opportunities in sports.
A special recognition was attributed to Yves Le Lostecque (Head of Erasmus+ Mundus & Sport Unit at EACEA and former Head of Sport Unit at DG EAC of the European Commission), who announced his retirement after having greatly contributed to the development of key European sport initiatives.
The deadline for ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Parnerships and Capacity Building project applications is March 5, 2024.
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