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On July 18 2026, the University of Salerno in cooperation with CUS Salerno hosted the 2026 EUSA Forum “Empowering University Sport: Grassroots & Innovation” attended by representatives from universities, university sports organisations, and international partners who have the responsibility to enhance the impact of sports knowledge and best practices to foster healthy lifestyles in the academic environments and the society at large.

The President of EUSA, Mr. Haris Pavletic, welcomed the participants and presented the EUSA’s 2025-2029 strategic vision, particularly focused on the development of the students’ health, education, and personal development in and through sport. The University of Salerno Rector, Prof. Virgilio D’Antonio, and the President of CUS Salerno, Mr. Lorenzo Lentini, emphasized their satisfaction in hosting the EUSA Games for the first time in Italy, which could promote a strong legacy for enhancing physical activity and healthy behaviours in the Campania population.

The keynote speech of Mr. Antonio Parrilla, Italy’s Representative at the Council of Europe’s EPAS Governing Board Bureau, presented the relevance of the Revised European Sports Charter and its values of integrity, inclusion, and human dignity, which should be supported by institutional responsibility and structural funding.

The Forum encompassed two panel discussions. The first panel focused the future of inclusive and sustainable university sport with the contribution of Mr. Vincenzo Cusati, Sport Educator and Mental Coach from CUS Salerno, Mr. Peter Juhasz, Secretary General of the Hungarian University Sports Federation (MEFS), Mrs. Marija Panijan from the Croatian Academic Sports Federation, Mrs. Marianna Pikul from the University Sports Association of Poland (AZS), and Mr. Liam Smith, EUSA Director of Sports Events, moderated by Mr. Andrej Pisl EUSA Director of Projects & Policy. The discussion presented the importance of innovation, supportive policy frameworks, scientific data and international cooperation for enhancing grassroots sport engagement of the majority of sedentary university students and for preventing academic or sport dropout of athletes through dual career programmes.

The second panel focused on the strengthening the long-term impact of university sport through institutional cooperation with the contribution of Prof. Francesco Paolo Adorno, Rector’s Delegate for University Sports Policy and Relations with CUS at the University of Salerno, Mr. Bruno Barracosa, EUSA 1st Vice-President and former President of the Portuguese University Sports Federation, Prof. Laura Capranica, President of the European Athlete Student (EAS) network, Mr. Leonz Eder, President of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), and Mr. Philippe Housiaux, President of the European Fair Play Movement (EFPM), moderated by Mr. Andreas Csonka, EUSA Executive Committee Member. Key themes explored the needs of students in a fast changing society, the effective approaches to elicit active lifestyles in the academic environment, the cooperation of different stakeholders in sharing visions and responsibilities, and the importance to monitor progress. The relevance of monitoring the efficacy of policies and services for allowing students to combine sport, study, and social life was highlighted, as well as the need of cooperation to share best practices across Europe for enhancing fair play, safeguarding, ethical governance, and supportive environments.