EAS ExCom
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
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.
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 11–12, 2025 the EAS Board Members Dr. Antonio Figueiredo and dr. Antonio Sánchez Pato actively participated in the I International Symposium on Mentoring for High-Performance Student-Athletes, held on 11–12 December 2025 at the Faculty of Sport Sciences and Physical Education in A Coruña (Spain). This event represented the first international symposium of its kind held in Spain and was organised by the Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR) and the Universidade da Coruña (UDC), funded by the Spanish Higher Sports Council (CSD), and auspiced by the University Network for Dual Career Mentoring (RUMDE). This Network is endorsed by EAS.
The symposium was conceived as an academic and scientific forum dedicated to the analysis, development and dissemination of mentoring models supporting the dual careers of high-performance student-athletes in higher education. It brought together international researchers, university representatives and sport-related stakeholders to exchange knowledge, present research evidence and discuss institutional strategies aimed at improving academic support, mentoring structures and long-term career development for student-athletes across Europe.
Dr. Antonio Figueiredo contributed his recognised international expertise in talent development, dual career transitions and programme evaluation, engaging in comparative analyses of European mentoring models and participating in strategic discussions on improving institutional frameworks and sport policies supporting high-performance student-athletes across different national and organisational contexts.
Dr. Antonio Sánchez Pato contributed through scientific coordination, academic leadership and conceptual input, particularly in relation to the design and consolidation of inter-university mentoring networks for high-performance student-athletes. His participation focused on presenting and discussing research-based evidence derived from structured mentoring initiatives, emphasising educational quality, ethical mentoring practices and the holistic development of student-athletes.
The joint participation of both EAS Board Members ensured strong alignment with the mission and strategic objectives of the EAS, particularly regarding the promotion of evidence-based dual career policies, the advancement of mentoring as a key support mechanism, international academic cooperation and knowledge exchange, and the integration of research, education and sport governance in Europe.
In fact, the symposium contributed to strengthening international research and professional networks, enhancing cooperation between universities and sport organisations, and establishing mentoring as a central component for supporting high-performance student-athletes’ academic success, personal development and long-term career sustainability, fully consistent with the values and priorities of the EAS.
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
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 “2025 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 2025 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 2025 Bengt Nybelius Scholarship Winner
The Board of EAS will consider the quality of submitted manuscripts and notify the winner by July 31, 2025. The winner has to summarize her/his work with a 15-minute oral presentation in English at the 2025 Annual EAS Conference in Riga, Latvia, October 6-8.
EAS will arrange travel, accommodation, and registration of the Bengt Nybelius Scholarship winner.
Application to the 2025 to disseminate Bengt Nybelius Scholarship
To be considered for the 2025 Bengt Nybelius Scholarship applicants before July 1st, 2025 (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
The EAS Executive Board held its first in-person meeting of 2025 in Frankfurt (Germany) on 20-21 February. During the meeting, President Laura Capranica and Treasurer Mojca Doupona presented the 2024 activity and financial reports, respectively, which were unanimously approved.
The contribution of EAS to the development of the ongoing ERASMUS+Sport Collaborative Partnerships was illustrated and possible participations in the next call was envisaged. To facilitate exchanges of information between the dual career community, the functionality of the EAS website will be implemented in the next three months.
For the EAS cafés, several themes have been proposed, with the next events to be organized at the end of March-beginning of April, on June, and on December. Unfortunately, the Croatian Olympic Committee informed that the current financial situation does not permit to organize the 2025 EAS Conference and General Assembly in Croatia. The ExCom decided to enquiry several possible alternatives.
Antonio Sánchez Pato presented a proposal for the EAS Strategic Plan for the 2024-28 cycle, which was discussed by the members of the executive committee. Final considerations were dedicated to the possibility of implementing the EAS Stature to allow the inclusion of the Members of the Next Generation in the ExCom EAS, and individual memberships. These aspects will be presented to the General Assembly.
Dear EAS Members and Friends,
the EAS Executive Committee wishes you a peaceful 2024 Easter and takes the opportunity to update you.
Recent activities
January 26-27: The EAS Executive Board met at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), during which the 2024 activities of the Network were planned.
January 30: The EAS President Laura Capranica and Treasurer Mojca Doupona attended the “2024 EACEA InfoDay on ERASMUS+ Sport Programme and other EU funding opportunities” in Brussels, Belgium. This annual event updates on the EU priorities in sports. Recordings of the main sessions are available at the link 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.
February 27: The Members of the EAS Executive Board Ole Keldorf and Risto Keskitalo visited the Vice Rector Rajmund Tomik and the Director of international Relations Piotr Rodak at the Academy of Physical Education Katowice (Poland) to define the Conference programme dedicated to “Dual career at school and university – innovative bridges between sport and education”. In Katowice, the 2024European City of Science, the EAS members will have the best opportunities for to celebrate the 20th anniversary of EAS. Further information of the 2024 EAS Conference is available at https://eas24.awf.katowice.pl
March 1: 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 in Katowice, Poland to present the scientific contribution on October 1-3, 2024.
March 11: the 12th EAS Virtual Cafè was organized to address the challenges and opportunities of “Students-Athletes Facing the Olympic Games”. The event was a special opportunity to hear the voices of former Olympians and athletes facing for the first time the senior Olympic Games in Paris. Moderated by the former Portuguese Olympic canoeing athlete Beatriz Gomes, at present Professor of Biomechanics at the University of Coimbra, and member of the Executive Board of the Portuguese Olympic Committee, the participants were Gévrise Émane, French Olympic judo medalist and three times world champion, at present working as life coach for athletes for the French sport institute (INSEP), Vice-President of the Judo French Federation, and TV and radio consultant; Andy Criere, Spanish surfing athlete qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and student of Business Administration and Management at the at the Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), Spain, and Davide Di Veroli, Italian epee fencer qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, winner of an Italian Sportrait Award, student of Economics and Management at the Italian LUISS Guido Carli University.
The EU-funded ERASMUS+ Capacity Building and Collaborative Partnerships
Sports as Value (101093451), the capacity building coordinated by ENGSO (Sweden) aims to build the capacity of sport managers and coaches in Balkan region for promoting the positive impact of grassroots sports and the values in and through sport. The best practices collected in Albania, Bosnia&Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Portugal, and some other Member States will be summarized in a report. Further information is available at https://www.engso-education.eu/sports-as-value/
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. The report on Standards for the Recognition of Talented Children and the Methodological Handbook with Standards for the Detection and Assessment of the Potential of Talented Children in Sport have been finalized. In the next months, the user guidelines and the training materials will developed. Further information is available at https://talent-edu.eu
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, the Digital Sport Innovation Competence Hub is going to be developed. Further information is available at https://sportsinnovationshub.com
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 organizie Power up Workshops for Elite Athletes.
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.
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. To gather valuable insights of the skills and expectations of youth athletes across Europe, a survey has been developed and launched.
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. A survey is going to be launched to gather valuable insights to the development of the platform to best serve the needs of student-athletes across Europe.
Upcoming events
April 16-17: Under the Belgian Presidency of the European Union, the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture of the European Commission will organize the 2024 EU Sport Forum in Liege (Belgium) The event will bring together policy maker and representatives from sports organizations to discuss challenges and envisage opportunities for the European Sport.
April 22: 13th EAS Cafè “University Sports: From Active Lifestyles to Dual Career”
EAS Conference
October 1-3, 2024, the Academy of Physical Education Katowice (Poland) will host the 2024 EAS Annual Conference “Dual career at school and university – innovative bridges between sport and education” (https://eas24.awf.katowice.pl).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 (https://www.dualcareer.eu/call-for-papers-bengt-nybelius-scholarship-2024/)..
A special thank to the Executive Committee and the Members of our Network for their proactive attitude in the recruitment of new EAS members and the advancement of the European dual career culture. I strongly encourage you to keep disseminating the EAS activities for the benefit of sportspersons as students and workers.
Prof. Laura CAPRANICA,
EAS President
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 April 20-21, 2023 The University of Rome Foro Italico (Italy) hosted the EAS Executive Board. During the meeting, the cooperation of EAS with European Institutions consolidated in 2020-2023 have been summarized to provide a basis of the development of the 2023-2026 strategic plan to be discussed and approved by the General Assembly during the 2023 EAS Conference to be held in Gaeta, Italy next October 2-4, 2023.
The roles of three EAS Committees have been discussed. In particular, the EAS Scientific Committee Antonio Tessitore – UNIMED, Chair); Elena Conde, UCAM – Masar Gjaka, UBT) will foster dual career research and select the 2023 Bengt Nybelius Scholarship winners; of the EAS Communication Committee (Cristina Cortis – University of Cassino, Chaur; Piotr Rodak – Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, – Lotte Juhl – ESAA) will work to increase the visibility of the EAS Conference in the EAS website and social media; and the New Generation EAS Committee (Flavia Guidotti – University of Rome Foro Italico, Chair; Sara Seidl, University of Mannheim; Hakon Ege, Collins Innovation) will provide new ideas for the EAS Cafè and other activities.
The development of the ongoing European projects (BRAVA-DC, coordinated by the University of Limerick, Ireland; COMPATH, coordinated by Collective Innovation AS -COLINN, Norway; PARA-LIMITS, coordinated by UCAM, Spain; TALENT coordinated by the Center of Excellence of Split Dalmatia County, Croatia; and SPORTS AS VALUE coordinated by ENGSO, Sweden) and the application to six new proposals have been presented also in light of the new rules of the European Commission.
During a meeting with Prof. Cristina Cortis from the University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, the main aspects of the 2023 EAS Conference “Promoting Wellbeing in dual Career” and the cultural programme have been examined. Early registration fees (until August 1, 2023) will be 300 EUR for EAS Members and 450 EUR for non-members (including 150 EUR of 2023 EAS membership). After August 1, 2023, registration fees will be 400 EUR for EAS Members, and 550 EUR for not EAS members (including 150 EUR of EAS membership).
Save the date: the 10th EAS Cafè ““Dual career as European sports diplomacy beyond Europe” will be held on June 1, 2023.
REG. NUMBER: Voluntary Organisation registration VO/1270
PIC NUMBER: 913459865
Email: info@dualcareer.eu