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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 30^th 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/