Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire
FISU stands for Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire (International University Sports Federation) and was founded in 1949. FISU's main responsability is the supervision of both Summer and Winter Universiades as well as the World University Championships. FISU is composed of a General Assembly which represents the members (153 National University Sports Federations). It is FISU's main governing body. It elects the Executive Committee for a period of four years, which takes all the necessary decisions for the smooth running of FISU. Ten permanent commissions advise the Executive Committee in their specialised areas and so to simplify its duties. FISU is funded through subscription, organising and entry fees, television incomes, and marketing activities.
The Universiades
The Universiade is an international sporting and cultural festival which is staged every two years in a different city and which is second in importance only to the Olympic Games. The Summer Universiade consists of 12 compulsory sports (Athletics - Basketball - Fencing - Football - Gymnastics - Judo - Swimming - Diving - Water Polo - Table Tennis - Tennis - Volleyball) and up to three optional sports chosen by the host country. The record figures are 9,006 participants in Bangkok, Thailand in 2007 and 174 countries in Daegu, Korea in 2003. The Winter Universiade consists of 7 compulsory sports (Alpine skiing - Snowboarding - Nordic skiing composed of jump, cross country & combined - Curling - Ice Hockey - Short-Track Speed Skating - Figure Skating - Biathlon) and one or two optional sports also chosen by the host country, and gathered a record of 2,511 participants in Torino, Italy in 2007 and a record number of 50 countries in Innsbruck, Austria in 2005.
The World University Championships
The other important sport events of FISU are the World University Championships. The spreading of the university sport in the world created a new series of meetings and competitions to complete the program of the Universiade. FISU supports the competitions which represent the continuity of university sport and allows the federation to be better known. In 2004, FISU organised 25 World University Championships that attracted 4,845 participants from a total of 186 (of which 90 different) countries. In 2006, FISU staged 27 WUCs attracting 5,852 participants from a total of 209 (of which 90 different) countries and for 2008, 29 WUC were attributed bringing together 6,652 participants from 229 countries (of which 90 different). For 2010, 29 WUC are attributed. WUC Sports Program: Archery - Badminton - Baseball - Beach Volleyball - Bridge - Chess - Cross Country - Cycling - Equestrian - Flat Water Canoeing - Floorball - Futsal - Golf - Handball - Field Hockey - Karate - Match Racing - Orienteering - Rowing - Rugby 7 - Savate - Sailing - Shooting - Softball - Squash - Taekwondo - Triathlon - White Water Canoeing - Waterskiing - Weightlifting - Woodball - Wrestling.
The Eligibility
The Universiades and Championships are open to all student athletes that have not been out of university or its equivalent for more than a year and that are between 17 and 28 years old. Any association which belongs to FISU may enter a team or an individual competitor. Entries are accepted from any country which is eligible for the Olympic Games and from any national federation which is affiliated to an appropriate International Federation.
The FISU Conference
The FISU Conference takes place at the same time as the Universiade, complementing the sporting aspect with sociological study and scientific research, thus illustrating the need to bring together Sport and the University Spirit. This FISU Conference also entitled "Conference for the Study of University Sport" tackles topics relating to the different aspects of sport and physical education.
The FISU Forum
Since, like the Universiade, the Congress is biennial, FISU wished to give students and university sport officials the opportunity to meet more often to discuss subjects involving education, culture and sport, through Forum seminars. Practically speaking, Forum seminars will take place every two years, alternating with Universiade years, and each time in a different location.
FISU General Secretariat - Brussels
Château de la Solitude
54, avenue Charles Schaller
B - 1160 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: 32.2.6406873
Fax: 32.2.6401805
E-Mail: fisu@fisu.net
URL: www.fisu.net
FISU Office - Lausanne
Maison du Sport International
c/o FISU
Av. de Rhodanie 54
CH- 1007 Lausanne, Switzerland
Tel.: 41. 21 6143069
E-Mail: fisu@fisu.net
internet site: www.fisu.net
Secretary-General/CEO
Secretary-General/CEO Eric Saintrond
The FISU Secretariat is placed under the responsibility of the Secretary-General/CEO who, under the authority of the President, runs it with the assistance of the Directors; the latter are at the head of small units responsible for dealing with business in their respective sectors of competence (Universiades, World University Championships and Education).
The FISU Philosophy
The FISU (International University Sports Federation) was formed within university institutions in order to promote sporting values and encourage sporting practice in harmony with, and complementary to, the university spirit. To promote sporting values means encouraging friendship, fraternity, fair-play, perseverance, integrity, co-operation and application amongst students who will one day hold responsible, and even key positions in politics, the economy, culture and industry. As allies or competitors, perhaps even as antagonists, these men and women will have learned how to collaborate and confront every eventuality whilst respecting the ethical code enshrined in these values. Promoting sporting values and sporting practice also means giving a new dimension to the university spirit in study, research, and discipline, through the strong affirmation of the full humanist development of the individual and, thus, of society at large. This development is not just intellectual, but also moral and physical.
The university student should be able to practice sport at his own chosen level within his university. Even if he reaches a high level of competition in his sport, the student will not look upon these competitions as an end in themselves, but as an element in the development of his own potential, in the same way as he prepares for his professional life. With its international dimension, FISU brings together the university community in the wider sense, necessarily transcending the conflicts which divide countries and peoples, to achieve harmony between Academic Excellence and Top-Level Sport, or Competition and Leisure Sports. The World University Sporting Movement also aims to become a powerful channel of communication for bringing together the various communities whose rich diversity is all too often a source of conflict today. This philosophy necessarily implies that FISU should be not only international, but also independent and free, regardless of the source of financial and technical support from its institutional, academic, financial or media partners.
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