FUSION - Future links for University athletes with Sports clubs Integrating Organised Networks
FUSION project partners are committed to strengthening the connection between universities and sports clubs, helping students continue their sports practice after graduation.
Often, graduates find it difficult to replicate a similar social setting to encourage their participation in sporting activities after studies. Sports clubs emerge as the most viable alternative, reflecting the university’s organisational and social structure.
The project seeks to establish a supportive network, encourage a healthy lifestyle transition into adulthood, and facilitate communication between universities, students, and sports clubs.
The duration of the FUSION project is 24 months, starting in October 2024.
The project has the following main objectives:
- Establish a supportive network for young graduates, encouraging the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle in their transition to adult life;
- Facilitate communication channels between universities, students and sports clubs;
- Develop a podcast, designed to provide students and graduates with useful information on how to keep their connection to sport practice after university.
The project consists of 4 meetings, both online and in-person, and 3 major actions: survey, networking events, and production of outputs.
The project has EUSA Institute as a coordinator and Latvian University Sports Federation (LUSF), Lithuanian Students' Sports Association (LSSA), University of Hamburg (UHAM), and Toulouse University Club (TUC), as partners.
Representatives from all these associations and universities meet on December 7th, 2024, at the prestigious Rectorate of the University of Ljubljana to officially kick off the project. Discussions about important aspects of the project and presentations about financial and administrative details were crucial to ensure alignment between all the partners.
In February, a survey on students and alumni engagement in sports was launched to better understand the motivations and obstacles they face in maintaining their sports engagement beyond university. The survey was available in all the languages of the project's partner countries. Its results and feedbacks will be used to implement the various activities of the networking events.
Networking events will involve student and club athletes, as well as representatives from universities and local sports clubs. Each partnering organisation will host a local networking event.
The project’s results should serve as a foundation for developing a podcast and contribute to building better connections between the sports organisations. The podcast will be recorded by the partners during the networking events and will showcase the input and opinions of participants on their practice of sport at the university and/or in sports clubs.
FUSION project 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.