The FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy (FVLA) 2023  had its introduction session on 23 June and the main sessions will be organised on 7-9 September 2023 in online format.

This session outlined the current happenings with FISU, introduced the 2023 FVLA participants, and highlighted the results from the 2022-2023 FISU Student Ambassador programme.

The FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy (FVLA) is a unique educational event designed to give emerging leaders a variety of lectures and seminars about international university sports and how to manage volunteer programs and then apply them in their national (NUSF) or continental (CUSF) university sports federations.

After participating in the FVLA, participants are appointed as FISU Student Ambassadors and responsible for developing personal action plans and planning and executing pertinent and targeted activities with their NUSF or CUSF to support the growth of the collegiate sport in their home country or continent. 

The FISU Acting President, Mr. Leonz Eder, opened the online introductory session for the FVLA program with a welcome speech. He made an important point about the significance of the younger generation in leadership roles in sports and underlined that the FVLA program has a promising future. He highlighted the mission of the FISU which is “To provide the opportunity for all students to participate in physical activity while acting for the health and wellbeing of students and thereby helping them to become tomorrow’s leaders”

The Education and Development Director of FISU, Ms. Lilia Barieva, briefly explained what exactly FISU is, its activities, its history, and the upcoming events after the welcome address. Mr. Julien Buhajezuk, the FISU Education Manager, served as the session's moderator and presented a brief review of the agenda. 

After Ms. Lilia Barieva’s presentation, the FISU Students Ambassadors Program coordinator, Ms Albina Rakhmatullina presented the aims and highlights of the student ambassador program. FISU Student Ambassadors is an educational program that runs for one year and additionally, the alumni of the FVLA can participate in regular educational sessions and test out speaking, team leading, and moderating responsibilities.

The results of the FISU Student Ambassadors Program Season 2022/23 were also presented along with the roadmap and the timeline of the program.

The FISU Student Ambassadors Program participants also delivered their own perspectives and experiences on the program as well as their individual projects as the session's closing remarks.

Following the presentation, attendees had a chance to inquire about further information regarding the program and to create connections with their fellow participants.

The FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy's goal is to establish a global volunteering community that can exchange the top techniques used in volunteer projects at all sporting events. To achieve this, it is necessary to uphold all the ideals of collegiate athletics, including integrity, excellence, teamwork, and innovation, while working with national and international university sports federations (NUSFs and CUSFs). The curriculum includes an educational component, sports practice, culture, sustainability, and a program for FISU alumni.

For more information about the FISU Volunteer Leaders Academy, please see https://www.fisu.net/education/educational-programmes/fisu-volunteer-leaders-academy