On September 24-25, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) organised FISU Student Ambassador Training, providing online training and information for students on world university sport, FISU, its events and opportunities, professional skills and cultural programme.

European University Sports Association (EUSA) nominated two student representatives - Helena from Albania and Wiktor from Poland, who share their reflection about the programme and the training in this month’s What’s Up student column.

Helena Kace

Taking part in the FISU Student Ambassador Training as a representative of EUSA gave me a clearer understanding of FISU’s work and the opportunities available through the ambassador programme. The sessions explored the organisation’s activities and its focus on education and health alongside sport. I particularly appreciated hearing student ambassadors present their projects, as these examples showed how the programme can translate into practical initiatives shaped by students’ needs and experiences.

As a member of the EUSA Student Commission, I see this role as an opportunity to connect our work at European level with the wider international university sport community. Student participation, wellbeing and access to opportunities are relevant to both contexts. The training helped me consider how I can contribute to this connection while bringing the perspective of EUSA and the students we represent. Learning about the support available through FISU and university sport federations also provided a useful starting point for developing the yearly project.

Over the coming year, I look forward to working with my colleagues in EUSA to explore a project that reflects our shared priorities and encourages meaningful student involvement. With my background in technology and communication, I am interested in helping university sport opportunities reach more students and making participation easier to understand and access. I also hope to exchange ideas with fellow ambassadors, learn from their approaches and bring useful experiences back to our work within EUSA.

Wiktor Makowski 

FISU Student Ambassador training was incredibly valuable for me – not only in terms of connecting with other participants from all over the world but also it has equipped me with a critical knowledge necessary for implementing the action plan and other deliverables expected in the FSA programme. Aside from the theoretical part I was particularly fond of speeches of people working in the FISU office like the FISU president or the Secretary General. They brought up their experience and words of wisdom for all ambassadors that will be surely useful in the upcoming season. Also, I can't forget about the last part of the second day which involved a cultural part that intended to loosen up the atmosphere after 2 days of webinars. In this part everyone could bring something from their country, culture, show it off and take part in a fun quiz together.

The insights I've gained over the past two days will surely help me contribute to various projects and initiatives in collaboration with FISU and EUSA, specifically the ones about volunteering and youth engagement in sports, which lies particularly in my interest. Now, that I've got it all, I'm looking forward to making new friends with other ambassadors, brainstorming, coming up with new ideas and improving the world of university sports!

The authors Helena and Wiktor are members of the EUSA Student Commission. Helena is a Computer Science student at the University of Tirana and Wiktor is also a Computer Science student, at the Poznan University of Technology.

Are you a student with an opinion? We are looking for new contributors for our student column every month. Feel free to contact stc@eusa.eu to offer a piece or propose a topic.