DISCOVERING UNIVERSITY SPORT AND SUPPORTING DUAL CAREER 
DiscoverU is a 36-month-long project, co-funded by the European Union, with the main aim to improve sport and physical activity opportunities for students in higher education and at the same time to promote and support dual career in higher education in partnering countries.
Students are often challenged with a sedentary lifestyle. Sport and physical activity in tertiary education are only partially developed and do not have a unified approach in Europe. The project engages partners from different countries and experiences, through blended learning, gathering information, sharing good practice examples and implementing sports and educational activities.
The direct result of the project will be threefold:
- Improved cooperation between organisations, strengthening their expertise and activities;
- Improved participation in sports and physical activities in grassroots sport (recreation and non-professional competitions);
- Supporting student athletes in their dual career paths (ensuring study possibilities for elite and high-level athletes).
Engagement of the partners in the consortium and sharing the project activities and results in an open way will enable wide dissemination, exploitation, and sustainability of the results.
Project partners
The project is lead by the EUSA Institute, and brings together two NGOs, EUSA and European Athlete as Student network (EAS), national university sport bodies from Croatia (CASF/HASS), Hungary (HUSF/MEFS) and Poland (AZS), as well as the University of Salerno (Italy).
Although competitive university sport is not the priority of the project, it is worth noting that the consortium includes hosts of four European Universities Games: 2016 Zagreb-Rijeka (CRO), 2022 Lodz (POL), 2024 Debrecen-Miskolc (HUN) and 2026 Salerno (ITA).
Project meetings
Project partners held their kickoff meeting during the European Universities Winter Championships 2023, hosted in the Italian Dolomites, in Val di Zoldo. Here, representatives of the partners introduced their respective organisations. Project plans and commitments were then presented, with the participants reviewing their roles and responsibilities, as well as proposing some adjustments in the delivery plan of the project.
Project partners meet again online in April 2024 for a webinar on the topic of Dual Career. Around 90 participants discovered how dual career is supported by University Sports Association of Poland, by Hungarian University Sports Federation and by University of Coimbra. This last, for example, differentiates between three category profiles of students-athletes with different levels of support.
A round table of speakers followed, with questions related to the dual career systems of all of the countries taking part in the project and additional stakeholders involved.
The second in-person partners’ meeting took place as part of the 2nd International Scientific Conference 4 Healthy Academic Society, organised by the Croatian Academic Sports Federation in the city of Poreč from May 30th to June 1st. After a general overview of the project, representatives worked to develop it, identify needs and set common guidelines such as a coherent visual identity. Practical demonstrations of technical aspects were given as well.
The project implementation strategy was also tackled, with all partners agreeing to be responsible for monitoring their own engagements and ensuring that activities are followed according to the plan to achieve the expected objectives. The project Evaluation Plan, aiming at monitoring partners' and participants' satisfaction, was detailed as well.
The partners met again in person in Hungary in July during the European University Games 2024. This meeting focused on the various deadlines for implementing deliverables and the division of tasks to ensure timely completion. Objectives of the dissemination and communication plan were presented.
Project presentations
In October 2024, the DiscoverU project was promoted at the EAS Conference and General Assembly, in Katowice, Poland and at the 18th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers Responsible for Sport, in Porto, Portugal, where the topic of dual career was discussed for the first time.
DiscoverU was also presented at the Erasmus+ Sport Info Day in December 2024 in Brussels. The event focused on the funding opportunities for sport-related projects within the Erasmus+ funding programme, and it served as a platform to network and meet potential partners. In this context, DiscoverU was specifically mentioned as a good practice, and representatives of four DiscoverU partners (EUSA, EAS, Croatian Academic Sport Federation and University Sport Association of Poland) met and further promoted it.
In March 2025, a stakeholders’ dialogue on the role of the EU policies in shaping the European Sport Model was held at the European Parliament. 20 key sports stakeholders in Europe shared their priorities and recommendations. Among these organisations were EUSA and EAS, also partners in the DiscoverU project, who promoted the initiative.
In April 2025, DiscoverU was spotlighted at the EUSA-NUSA online meeting. Over 40 representatives from 23 countries were updated on general EUSA developments. A major part of the meeting focused on innovative approaches to increasing student participation in sport, aligned with DiscoverU’s goals of supporting dual careers and enhancing access to diverse sport and educational opportunities. EUSA introduced several additions to the European Universities Championships programme (Winter Sports, Padel, and Power Lifting), which are also promoted through DiscoverU’s outreach and engagement focus.
Other DiscoverU project partners also shared concrete examples of how the project is implemented at local and national levels. Croatian Academic Sport Federation and University Sports Association of Poland expanded their sports offer. Hungarian University Sports Federation implemented the MEFOB Festival, a multisport event combining competitive and recreational elements. University of Salerno joined the Erasmus Day initiative, designed to promote inclusion, cooperation, and intercultural exchange through sport, reflecting the values of DiscoverU. European Athlete as Student highlighted its efforts to support dual career development through awareness campaigns, stakeholder dialogue, and online engagement.
Later in 2025, DiscoverU was presented at the University Sport Congress and Dual Career Conference in Warsaw, hosted by University Sports Association of Poland. The event combined national sessions on dual‑career programmes for student‑athletes with an international conference focused on fostering dual careers across Europe. A major highlight was the presentation of the DiscoverU project.
DiscoverU is Co-Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.