EUSA Winter Forum 2025
The EUSA Winter Forum 2025 was held in Val di Zoldo, coinciding with the European Universities Winter Championships.
This year’s forum carried the title University Winter Sports at a Crossroads: Current Challenges and Opportunities.
The Forum brought together over 40 participants, including athletes, officials, EUSA Executive Committee members, and distinguished guests. On the day prior to the Forum, attendees took part in the Opening Ceremony of the European Universities Winter Championships, laying the groundwork for a great event and competitions ahead.
The primary aim of the meeting was to foster dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders, address the current challenges facing university winter sports, explore new opportunities for growth and innovation, and ultimately strengthen the development of winter sports programs at universities across Europe.
The event was hosted in the Fusine Conference Hall and officially opened with welcome remarks from Haris Pavletic, EUSA President, and Ivano Sambo, Vice President of CUS Venezia.
The programme commenced with a roundtable discussion on Building Cooperation Across Borders among university sport stakeholders, moderated by Natasa Jankovic, EUSA Consultant.
The panel featured representatives from five different organisations and countries: Yngvild Larsen Schei from the Norwegian Association of University Sports; Marianna Pikul from the University Sports Association of Poland; Manfred Pfeifer from the Austrian University Sports Organisation; Mutlu Turkmen from Bayburt University, Turkey; and Andrej Pisl, representing the European University Sports Association.
The discussion showed that despite very different national contexts, universities across Europe face shared challenges in winter sports - from participation and funding to sustainability and climate change.
Participants also heard that solutions do not lie in copying one model, but in cooperation: between universities and federations, between countries, and at the European level.
Bigger initiatives, such as organising international winter sport events or smaller initiatives like developing new winter sport disciplines (like japanese snowballing), new formats of national/local events with fun and social components can become powerful tools, not only to promote winter sports, but to increase student engagement, strengthen universities, and make winter sports more accessible and sustainable for the future.
After a short coffee break, the second roundtable started, covering the topic of Healthy Campuses, Healthy Athletes: Linking Winter Sports and Student Well-Being.
The discussion was moderated by Bill Thompson, EUSA EC member, and he was joined by Ivo Carvalhosa from the International University Sports Federation (FISU); Alberto Rainoldi, representing the University of Turin; Julia Zlatkova, EUSA Student Representative; Marta Studzinska, EUSA Education Officer; and Will Roberts from the British Universities and Colleges Sport.
This panel discussion brought together representatives from EUSA, NUSAs, and FISU to explore how student physical activity and wellbeing can be maintained during the winter months. The panel addressed the seasonal decline in activity levels and highlighted key winter events such as the EUSA Winter Sports Championships, SELL Games, and FISU World University Games Winter, alongside innovative formats like Snow Volleyball.
Mental health was a central focus, with the YouMind project presented as a practical tool to support student and athlete wellbeing across EUSA member institutions. The discussion also showcased the FISU Healthy Campus programme, demonstrating how universities can promote holistic wellbeing through structured, multi-level initiatives.
Panellists shared best practices from their organisations, discussed the importance of adaptability and personal engagement in winter activities, and highlighted initiatives that add value to the student experience, including enhanced fitness services and pre-participation assessments.
The conclusions and the closing of the EUSA Winter Forum 2025 were made by Bill Thompson, who summarised the key discussions of the forum and highlighted the importance of collaboration, innovation, and wellbeing in sustaining student sport during the winter months.
The realisation of the EUSA Winter Forum was Co-funded by the European Union and supported by the International University Sports Federation (FISU).
Participants will continue to enjoy the European Winter Sports Championships in Val di Zoldo, featuring a dynamic programme that includes three main disciplines: alpine skiing, snowboarding, and snow volleyball. The event offers a vibrant blend of competitive sport and winter atmosphere, providing an exciting and engaging experience for athletes, officials, and guests.
The complete photo gallery from this second edition of the EUSA Winter Forum can be found here.
For more information on the EUC Winter Sports Championships 2025, please see wintersports2025.eusa.eu