NEWS
Dear EAS Members and Dual Career Friends,
wishing you and your family a happy Easter, the EAS Executive Committee is pleased to update you on the recent and future activities.
Recent activities
January 24-26, the Executive Board members Ole Keldorf, António Figueiredo, and Risto Keskitalo (local organizer), conducted an official institutional visit to Oulu, Finland, the European Capital of Culture 2026, to finalize the terms of the agreement between EAS and the Kastelli Upper Secondary School to host the 23rd EAS Annual Conference next October 5-7, 2026. Further information at https://www.dualcareer.eu/institutional-visit-to-oulu-finland-in-preparation-for-the-23rd-eas-annual-conference-and-executive-board-elections-october-5-7-2026/
February 12, 2026, the EAS Executive Board launched the call of paper for the 2026 Bengt Nybelius Scholarship to facilitate the integration of outstanding scholars and young researchers up to 40 years of age in the area of dual career. Before July 1th, 2026 applicants must submit by e-mail to info@dualcareer.eu an original manuscript related to the scope of EAS. The winner will be invited to present her/his work during the EAS Conference with her/his travel, accommodation, and registration arranged by EAS. Further information at https://www.dualcareer.eu/category/news/
March 5, 2026, EAS contributed to the preparation of new proposals for ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Partnerships coordinated by highly active and dedicated dual career partners.
March 30, 2026, the 20th virtual EAS cafè with experts and testimonials contributed to the dual career topic “Beyond Winter: Life Between Sport and Study”.
The ongoing EU-funded ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Partnerships
DiscoverU (101134052), the Collaborative Partnership coordinated by EUSA (Slovenia) aims to enhance university sport and qualifications of elite athletes for preparing them to the labour market. After having organized Power up Workshops for Elite Athletes, events and webinars, the project entered its third year. 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. In entering its third year, a FIND ME transnational meeting was held in Ljubljana (Slovenia) on February 19-20, 2026. The European Universities willing to enhance their visibility can be included in the FIND ME platform by completing in about 5-10 minutes a survey on relevant dual career services and provisions offered to sportspersons enrolled in their courses available at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSepAQGxS_ftTyxQwCancqkbVibF6uYrKiQh99K1w_dTb7pgxg/viewform.
FOCUS (101243801), the Collaborative Partnership coordinated by NYSA SWEDEN AB aims to establish an innovative and scalable Dual Career co-created framework, ensuring that elite football players can successfully transition from youth to professional sport levels while maintaining educational and career opportunities. On January 22-23, 2026, the kick off meeting of the Project was organized at the Kisakallio Sports Institute (Finland).
The “Find Me” and “FOCUS” projects are co-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 ongoing EU-funded Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) projects
Give Sport a Say: Give citizens a real say for the future of the EU in and through sports (101253838), coordinated by the Italian Organisation for Sports (OPES Italy) in cooperation with the European Network of Sport Education (ENSE, Austria), the EU Sport Link (Belgium), the European University Sports Association (EUSA Institute, Slovenia), The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA, Germany), the Sports Federation Union of Catalonia (UFEC, Spain) and EAS, aims to implement 16 events across Europe to facilitate a thorough discussion and to collect ideas for an advancement of the European culture in and through sports.
The “Give Sport a Say: give citizens a real say for the future of the EU in and through sports” project is co-funded by the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme, within the Citizens engagement call.
Upcoming events
April 15-16, 2026: EAS will participate to the 2026 EU Sport Forum in Paphos, Cyprus, during which the future of EU sport policy, major challenges, and opportunities for cooperation at European level will be addressed. Further information is available at https://sport.ec.europa.eu/whats-new/events/eu-sport-forum-2026
April 23-24, 2026: The EAS Executive Committee will meet in Riga (Latvia) to prepare the EAS Conference, activities, and future actions.
May 2026: EAS will participate to the meeting of the EPAS Council of Europe Governing Board and joint meeting with the EPAS Consultative Committee.
August 24-28, 2026: FISU World Sport Forum “Active Body Healthy Mind: How Impactful Sport can be at Universities” to be held in Östersund (Sweden), which will encompass three subthemes: Healthy Campus – the key for Wellbeing and Excellence; University Sport Events: Driving Change Through Inclusivity and Good Governance; and Dual Career friendly Universities. Further information is available at https://www.fisu.net/events/2026-ostersund-fisu-world-forum/
August 31 to September 2, 2026: EAS will participate to the V International Seminar on Dual Career in Sport (V SIDUCA) organized by the Associação Brasileira Sobre Dupla Carreira Esportiva in Brasília (Brazil), consolidating itself as one of the leading academic and scientific forums on dual career at the international level. Further information is available at at https://www.dcbrasil.org/informações
Bengt Nybelius Scholarship
July 1 (midnight CET): To be eligible for the 2026 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/category/news/
Virtual EAS Cafè
Members of the dual career family are invited to suggest interesting dual career topics to be addressed during the spring, summer, fall, and winter EAS Cafè.
EAS Conference
October 5-7, 2026: the Kastelli Upper Secondary School (Finland) will host in Oulu the 2026 EAS Annual Conference, which is the most important opportunity for the members of the dual career community to elect the Executive Board Elections, and to be informed on the best practices at local, regional, and national levels, to share the findings and outcomes of EU-funded dual career projects, and to recognize the young researcher awarded the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship. The final deadline for abstract submission is September 13, 2026.
Further information will be posted on the official ES website www.dualcareer.eu and social media https://www.facebook.com/eas.dualcareer
Special thanks to the Members of the EAS Executive Committee and to the EAS family (https://www.dualcareer.eu/membership/) for their continuous commitment to the European dual career culture.
Prof. Laura Capranica,
EAS President
Dear friends of Dual Career,
On behalf of the EAS Executive Committee, I inform you that the 20th EAS Virtual Cafè on “Beyond Winter: Life Between Sport and Study” will be held on Monday March 30, 2026 (from 13:00 CET). This event is organized in conjunction with the project “Give Sport a Say” (CERV-101253838), which aims to foster the civil dialogue on future of sport policy in connection with health, equality and youth.
13:10 Welcome
Mrs. Sara Massini
Sara Massini, psychologist, is the head of European and International affair department of OPES, Italian umbrella organization for grassroots sport under the Italian Olympic Committee structure. Former secretary general of ENGSO and youth leader within the Italian youth Council and European youth forum, she has a long experience in advocacy, policy and project management in the areas of sport and youth both at National and European level.
13:10 From my dual career to the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
Mrs. Diana Bianchedi, MD
Diana Bianchedi is gold medallist in fencing (foil) at the 1992 and 2000 Olympic Games, and at five World Championships. Graduated in Medicine and specialized in Sport Medicine, Diana is the Vice President of the Italian Olympic Committee and the Chief Strategy Planning & Legacy Officer of 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games. She is actively supporting the dual career of athletes, being also the mother of Giulia Amore, elite fencer graduated in Economics, Management and Computer Science.
13:20 European Week of Winter Sport – from the ERASMUS+Sport project to a movement for future outlooks.
Mr. Andrej Pisl, MS
Andrej Pisl, EUSA Director of Projects and Policy, is in charge of European projects and policy, linking university sport with European values, organisations and institutions. He has over 25 years of experience in the field of sport in higher education, and currently holds a position as a Consultative Committee bureau member of the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS). He is an advocate for equality, inclusion and sport for all, also actively promoting and supporting dual career pathways. Andrej holds a Master’s degree in Sport Management from the University of Ljubljana, and is currently a PhD student at the University of Rome Foro Italico.
13:30 Shooting for Two Goals: What Elite Biathletes Say About Managing Sport and Education: Preliminary Findings of the ERASMUS+Sport DC4B Project. – Prof. Małgorzata Maria Sławińska, PhD
Prof. Małgorzata Maria Sławińska, PhD, is an assistant professor and Head of the Department of Social Sciences at the Institute of Sport – National Research Institute in Warsaw. Her research interests focus on sport and physical activity psychology, with particular emphasis on the role of affect in physical activity, mental health and burnout in sport, and dual-career challenges. She is the author of peer-reviewed scientific publications and integrates theoretical and empirical perspectives with practical solutions for elite sport and the general population. She leads the Erasmus+ Sport DC4Biathletes.
13:40 The Winter Olympic Athlete’s Experience
Mrs. Anina Zurbriggen
Mrs. Anina Zuebriggen is an alpine skier, born in Switzerland, living in Bulgaria, having Bulgarian and Swiss citizenship. In 2026 she represented Bulgaria at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina and she is studying Biomedical Science at the University of Fribourg (SUI).
13:50 General discussions and concluding remarks
We wish you a great weekend and we look forward to meeting you for this important dual career event.
You can join the Zoom Meeting at https://uni-lj-si.zoom.us/j/97257339611 (Meeting ID: 972 5733 9611)
Feel free to share this information with your colleagues, students, coaches, sports managers, and other sport actors.
Looking forward to meeting you again!
“Give Sport a Say 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 granting authority European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”
Under the European Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme (CERV), EAS joins experienced European partners (Italian Organisation for Sports – OPES Italy, Coordinator; the European Network of Sport Education – ENSE, Austria; the EU Sport Link, Belgium; the European University Sports Association – EUSA Institute, Slovenia; The Association For International Sport for All – TAFISA, Germany; the Sports Federation Union of Catalonia – UFEC, Spain) to promote the European fundamental values, democracy, and human rights, engaging citizens directly with policy-makers in a collective effort to shape the future of European sport policy.
From March 2026 to February 2028, The Give Sport a Say project (CERV-2025-CITIZENS-CIV-101253838) will implement 16 events across Europe to:
– Inform: Evaluating knowledge and explaining EU decision-making processes.
– Build Capacity: Providing practical skills and deeper insights into human rights in sport.
– Engage: Empowering citizens to contribute to policy dialogues and future EU sport strategies.
To facilitate a thorough discussion and to collect ideas for an advancement of the European culture in and through sports, the activities will be integrated into the regular sporting, educational, and governance events of the Partners.
“Give Sport a Say: give citizens a real say for the future of the EU in and through sports” project is co-funded by the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme, within the Citizens engagement call.
The University of Ljubljana hosted the 4th partner meeting of the Erasmus+ project FIND ME Erasmus+ Project on 19 February 2026. The main objective of the project is to develop a European platform to support the dual careers of student-athletes. Representing European Athlete as Student Network (EAS), Ilvis Ābeļkalns and Laura Capranica attended the meeting.
Eight partner organisations from seven countries came together to coordinate the next steps in developing a digital environment that will centralise study programmes tailored to the needs of dual career athletes across Europe.
The project aims to provide a systemic solution for more effective coordination of academic and sporting commitments, while also strengthening international cooperation in supporting dual careers. During the meeting, partners defined concrete development milestones for the continued establishment of the platform, which will offer student-athletes a clear, accessible, and sustainable tool to better plan and manage their dual careers within the European higher education landscape.
Bengt Nybelius, together with Risto Keskitalo, the founder of the European Athlete as Student Network (EAS), was a brilliant mind, who settled the objectives and the structure of the organisation in 2004. He passed away in 2011, and EAS decided to establish a scholarship to carry on the legacy of his work. Therefore, we are happy to announce the Call for Paper of the “2026 Bengt Nybelius Scholarship”
Aims of the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship
The aim of the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship is to facilitate the integration of outstanding scholars and young researchers in the area of dual career.
Eligibility to the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship
Regardless the nationality and country of residence, researchers up to 40 years of age could be eligible for the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship.
Requirements to apply to the 2026 Bengt Nybelius Scholarship
Applicants must submit as first author an original manuscript related to the scope of EAS. Manuscripts must not contain information presented in other manuscripts published elsewhere.
The manuscript should be written in English, between 15 and 30 pages double-spaced in Arial font size 11, including title page, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusions, acknowledgments (if applicable), references, tables, figures and legends, and statement of conflicts of interest.
Manuscripts must be accompanied by a cover letter, stating clearly why the work is considered suitable for the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship and explaining the importance of the study.
Selection of the 2026 Bengt Nybelius Scholarship Winner
The Board of EAS will consider the quality of submitted manuscripts and notify the winner by July 31, 2026. The winner will have to summarize her/his work with a 15-minute oral presentation in English at the 2026 Annual EAS Conference in Oulu, Finland, October 5-7.
EAS will arrange travel, accommodation, and registration of the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship winner.
Application to the 2026 Bengt Nybelius Scholarship
To be considered for the 2026 Bengt Nybelius Scholarship applicants before July 1th, 2026 (midnight CET) must submit by e-mail to info@dualcareer.eu, including:
- – A copy of the manuscript (PDF)
- – An abstract, 1 page, about 2400 characters
- – Curriculum vitae and list of publications (if there are others)
Requests of further information, if needed, could be addressed to info@dualcareer.eu. We are looking forward to receiving your application!
On behalf of the Board of EAS
Laura Capranica
As part of the strategic and operational preparation for the 23rd Annual Conference of the European Athlete Student – Dual Career Network (EAS), three members of the EAS Executive Committee, Ole Keldorf, António Figueiredo,and Risto Keskitalo (local organizer), conducted an official institutional visit to Oulu, Finland, the European Capital of Culture 2026 (https://www.ouka.fi/en).
Risto Keskitalo, played a fundamental role in facilitating communication between the EAS delegation and the local organizing partners in the organizational process of the conference, allowing for an in-depth evaluation of local conditions, facilities, and partnerships, and ensuring that all logistical, academic, and institutional requirements will be fully aligned with the standards and expectations of the EAS community.
To finalize the terms of the agreement between the European Athlete Student – Dual Career Network and the Kastelli Upper Secondary School (https://www.ouka.fi/kastellin-lukio), a formal working meeting was organized with members of the local organizing committee, Director Pekka Fredriksson and Principal Jani Syrjälä, who represent key educational and municipal stakeholders in Oulu. The discussions were characterized by a strong spirit of collaboration, mutual trust, and a shared commitment to promoting excellence in dual career development for athlete students across Europe.
The Hotel Lasaretti (https://lasaretti.com/en/) has been selected to host the 23rd EAS Annual Conference, which is situated in a unique and culturally rich environment, combining modern conference infrastructure with a distinctive architectural and historical character. Oulu also offer several accommodation solutions capable of hosting the diverse group of conference participants, guaranteeing accessibility, service quality, flexible booking options, and proximity to the conference venue.
The outcomes of this visit reinforce Oulu’s position as an outstanding host city for the EAS Annual Conference and highlight the city’s strong engagement with dual career policies and practices. With preparations now firmly underway, the EAS community looks forward with great anticipation to gathering in Oulu in October 2026 for what promises to be a high-quality, impactful, and inspiring conference dedicated to the advancement of dual career support for athlete students across Europe.
On January 22-23, 2026, the KOLMEN KAMPUKSEN URHEILUOPISTO (KKU) organized the kick off meeting of the FOCUS Project at the Kisakallio Sports Institute (Finland). Coordinated by NYSA (Sweden), in cooperation with BK HACKEN (Sweden), RFS Academy (Latvia), LATVIJAS AUGSTSKOLU SPORTA SA VIENIBA (LUSF – Latvia), TURUN KAUPUNKI (Finland), KKU (Finland) and EAS, the FOCUS project aims to establish an innovative and scalable Dual Career co-created framework, ensuring that elite football players can successfully transition from youth to professional sport levels while maintaining educational and career opportunities.
By utilizing the Cynefin framework, athletes and stakeholders will explore decision-making strategies in complex career transitions, with an emphasis on narrative-driven ethnographic research to shape European policy recommendations. Starting from a desk analysis of the football and educational contexts in place in Finland, Latvia, and Sweden, a systematic literature review of dual career in European football, an online survey, and national focus groups, the project will encompass actual testing sessions, and will culminate in the dissemination of practical toolkits, policy guidelines, and a scalable Dual Career model, integrating sport and education to foster athlete success beyond the playing field.
The FOCUS project is funded by the European Union and coordinated by NYSA. 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.
Dear Dual Career Friends and Colleagues,
The best of 2025 may revitalize our efforts in support of the dual career of the sportspersons!
International Collaborations
During this year, fruitful partnerships with the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, the International Military Sports Council (CISM), and Sport 4 Impact have been consolidated through the participation in important events. EAS attended the EU Sport Forum 2025 in Krakow, Poland, the 2025 EPAS Council of Europe Annual Meeting of the Governing Board and Consultative Committee in Strasbourg (France), the European Parliament consultations for the EU policies in shaping the European Sport Model and the implementation of the ERASMUS+ Programme for 2028-2034 in Brussels (Belgium). During the 2025 EAS Annual Conference in Riga (Latvia), a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Non-Governmental Sports Organisation (ENGSO) was signed. Finally, EAS has been recognized as an official partner of the European Week of Sport (EWoS).
Participation in International Conferences
Oral presentations and distribution of the projects’ flyers are deemed crucial to disseminate the aims and progresses of European Dual Career to scholars and policy makers. In addition to its 2025 Annual Conference (University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia), EAS was invited to contribute to the conference of the ERASMUS+Sport SAMEurope project (INSA Lyon, France), the Italian Scientific Society of Movement and Sports (SISMES, Parma, Italy), the Polish University Sport Conference (Warsaw, Poland), and the First International Symposium on Mentoring for High-Performance Student-Athletes (Universidade da Coruña, Spain). Finally, the EAS President, Laura Capranica, received a Recognition Plaque from the Brazilian Association of Dual Career for the EAS commitment to the advancement of dual career at international level.
Virtual EAS Cafè
In 2025, EAS organized five successful virtual cafes with experts and testimonials related to “From talent identification to talent support”, “Sport Innovation: Promoting employability of student-athletes and sport professionals”, “Dual Career Mentors and Mentees getting ready for the next academic year”, “Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the #BeActive programme and the 2025 European Week of Sport (EWoS) ”, “XXI century skills as a bridge between sport and employability”. Other interesting topics will be scheduled in spring, summer, fall, and winter 2026.
Finalized EU-funded ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Partnership
DC Mentor (101132309), the Collaborative Partnership coordinated by Sports Tech Consulting Education Tourism Organization Trade Limited Company (Turkeye) aimed to Advancing Athlete Employability through Career Mentorship and Education. The project designed “Life and Future Skills Training Modules”, “Life and Future Skills Curriculum for Elite Athletes”, the “Self-Assessment Toolkit”, and the “Athlete Career Mentorship Platform”. Further information is available at https://dcmentor.eu
Smart Start for DC (101133555), the Collaborative Partnership coordinated by Sportsko Uciliste PESG (Croatia) aimed to empower young athletes with XXI century transferable skills. The project developed an online platform for youth athletes and educators to support a balanced sport with education commitment. The platform offers interactive MOOC courses, tools for identifying personal strengths, and engaging, gamified content tailored to young athletes. The platform and project resources are available at ss4dc.eu and more information is accessible by following the project Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556732943039, and the YouTube videos at https://www.youtube.com/@smartstartfordc
TALENT (101090147), the Collaborative Partnership coordinated by the Uciliste Centar Izvrsnosti Splitsko-Dalmatinske Zupanije Ustanova Za Obrazovanje Odraslih (Croatia) developed a cloud-based education for creative sport talents, a New Methodology Handbook in Talent Detection in Sport, and Practical Recommendations Published for Coaches, Parents, Teachers, Sports Clubs and Decision Makers. The findings of the research have been published in scientific journals. The 6-hour TALENT Training Course is designed specifically for schoolteachers to help them recognising and supporting talented kids. Teaching materials are available on the E-STOP platform at https://talent-edu.eu.
Ongoing EU-funded ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Partnership
DiscoverU (101134052), the Collaborative Partnership coordinated by EUSA (Slovenia) aims to enhance university sport and qualifications of elite athletes for preparing them to the labour market. The project organized Power up Workshops for Elite Athletes, events and webinars and entered its third year. 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. The findings of the research have been published in scientific journals. Entering its third year, in January 2026 European universities will be invited to provide relevant information to populate the Find Me platform. Further information will be available at https://findmeproject.eu.
FOCUS: Dual Career Co-Creation (101243801), the Collaborative Partnership coordinated by the NYSA SWEDEN AB aims to establish an innovative and scalable Dual Career framework, ensuring elite football players can successfully transition to professional football while maintaining educational and career opportunities. The project outcomes will encompass practical toolkits, policy guidelines, and a scalable Dual Career model, integrating sport and education to foster athlete success beyond the playing field.
Give Sport a Say (101253838), the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme project coordinated by the Organizzazione Per l’Educazione allo Sport (OPES) aims to inform citizens about the EU decision-making process, the promotion of democracy and human rights in and through sports, as well as the collection of ideas on the future of the EU by integrating some activities into the regular events of the consortium partners.
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.
2026 EAS Membership
To reassert our support to the dual career sportspersons, we shall renew our determination, passion, and dedication by inspiring new members of the EAS family and by renewing our institutional 2026 EAS membership through the link http://www.dualcareer.eu/membership/.
2026 Bengt Nybelius Scholarship
Researchers up to 40 years of age are invited to participate in the call of papers for the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship (deadline: July 1, 2026). Further information is available at https://www.dualcareer.eu/call-for-papers-bengt-nybelius-scholarship-2025/
2026 EAS Conference: Save the date
Next October 5-7, 2026, the 2026 EAS Annual Conference will be held in in Oulu (Finland). This event is a crucial opportunity to inform on the advancements of dual career policies and provisions at local, regional, and national levels, to share the outcomes of EU-funded projects, to award innovative research by the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship, and to participate to the elections of the EAS President and Executive Board Members for 2027-2030 period (https://www.dualcareer.eu/call-for-papers-bengt-nybelius-scholarship-2025/).
On behalf of the Executive Board of EAS, I wish you and your beloved ones merry, bright, and regenerating holidays.
Prof. Laura Capranica,
EAS President
On December 10, 2025, the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) of the European Parliament invited EAS to participate in the key stakeholder consultation in preparation of the 2028-2034 ERASMUS+ programme. Mr. Bogdan Zdrojewski, Member of European Parliament, CULT Vice-President, and Rapporteur, welcomed the participants followed by the contributions of Mr. Vassos Koutsioundas, Chair of the Council Working Party on Sport of the Cyprus Presidency in 2026; Mr. Giorgio Guazzugli-Marini, Head of Unit for Sport, European Commission; and Mr. Stanislas Frossard, EPAS Secretary General, Council of Europe.
The short presentations by some Members of the Parliament and by representatives of the invited stakeholder organisations offered views to further develop the ERASMUS+Sport programme, stressing the need to ensure long-term funding to the ERASMUS+ programme for the sport and physical activity sector. In relation to dual career, the EAS President, Laura Capranica, recognized the crucial position of maintaining dual career among the priorities of the ERASMUS+Sport programme for further promoting a progressive improvement of dual career culture in the Member States. She envisaged the establishment of a European dual career observatory for the collection of harmonized data to monitor the actual dual career situation and to further progress in the full recognition of the right to combine sport and academic education for all the student populations; to support the professional figure of dual career tutor; and to promote the adoption of dual career policies and provisions for the employee-sportspersons in the labour sector.
On the second day, December 11, the EAS President attended the 2026 ERASMUS+Sport Info Day organized by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), in cooperation with the Sport Unit of the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC). This yearly event is crucial to share information on the funding opportunities for collaborative partnerships and capacity building project proposals according to the 2026 ERASMUS+ Programme Guide (https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-programme-guide), as well as to provide network opportunities between potential partners.
After opening the event, Mrs. Sophie Beernaerts, EACEA Director, moderated the high-level round table on the future ERASMUS+ programme with the contribution of Mr. Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport; Mr. Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski, Member of the European Parliament; and Mr. Vassos Koutsioundas from the Cyprus Sport Organisation.
Two plenary sessions addressed the policy priorities and novelties of the 2026 call for projects, respectively. In particular, Mr. Giorgio Guazzugli-Marini, Head of Sport Unit at DG EAC, Mr. Peter Fischer, Mrs. Paola Ottonello and Mr. Stefano Pintus from the Sport Unit illustrated the sport priorities focused primarily on health, innovation, and green environment, whereas Mr. Theo Duivenvoorde, Head of Erasmus Mundus & Sport Unit at EACEA, Mrs. Gael Broze, Mrs. Helena Kamencikova, and Mrs. Izabela Pelczynska provided advice for preparing original proposals and successful partnerships.
Three parallel sessions were organized to address mobility opportunities for sport staff available at National Agencies; application templates, lump sum funding mechanisms and selection processes for successful projects; and the Capacity Building action and its characteristics, respectively.
During the last plenary session, Mr. Giorgio Guazzugli Marini, Mrs. Sacha Beck, Mr. Mads Lyngso Schou from the Sport Unit reported the preliminary results from the Public Consultation to shape the future of sports in Europe “A Strategic Vision for Sport in Europe: Reinforcing the European Sport Model”
Mr. Georg Hausler, Director for Culture, Creativity and Sport, at DG EAC summarized the main aspects of the day and provided the closing remarks. In the next days, presentations will be available at https://www.eacea.ec.europa.eu/news-events/events/info-session-erasmus-sport-2026-2025-12-11_en.
On the third day, December 12, EACEA, Mr. Giorgio Guazzugli Marini, Head of the Sport Unit at the European Commission, welcomed the representatives of National Coordinating Bodies, and official partners of the #BeActive campaign (including EAS) participating in the Debrief Seminar. The event aimed to stimulate ideas for future editions based on the reflection on the 10th celebration of the European Week of Sport (EWoS).
Mrs. Violeta Birzniece reported that 15,107,722 participants joined the 79,420 #BeActive events across 39 European countries, highlighting a positive trend with respect to the previous EWoS editions. Mrs. Paola Ottonello reported that Instagram resulted one of the most active social media for sharing content of the events. She also anticipated the plans for 2026 and 2027, with the launch of the #BeActive Winter (February 1-7, 2027) to be officially announced during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Mr. Miguel Romero presented key objectives, priorities, deadlines, submission arrangements, eligibility criteria of the 2026-2027 call, and reminded the participants of the concept of #BeActive Night to be held next September the 26-27, 2026 across Europe. Finally, Mr. Peter Fischer launched an interactive Q&A session to foresee possible opportunities and improvements.
Furthermore, Cypriot and Irish National good practices of the “Move more – Scroll less” 2025 campaign offered insights into successful national-level practices, whereas the first experiences of the new EWoS partners called for strengthening cross-sector collaboration.
Finally, based on the 2025 experience, participants shared their opinions for the implementation of the 2026 EWoS during a group work session. For further information on EWoS and the #BeActive campaign is available at sport.ec.europa.eu/european-week-of-sport
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.
REG. NUMBER: Voluntary Organisation registration VO/1270
PIC NUMBER: 913459865
Email: info@dualcareer.eu