‘FISU International Education Centre in Kazan will be open to Students from all over the World’

KAZAN – These were the words of FISU First Vice-President Claude-Louis Gallien after the tour around the 2013 SU sports venues.

Claude-Louis Gallien stated that the legacy of the 2013 Summer Universiade and the future FISU International Education Centre would offer students worldwide a unique possibility to receive an excellent education. “I’m delighted with what I saw here and I admire not only the venues but the people that are involved in preparation of the Universiade. I think that the Russian national team is lucky to have Kazan because the 2013 Summer Universiade leaves such a rich legacy,” Claude-Louis Gallien admitted.

According to the FISU First Vice-President, the International Education Centre acts as a magnet for a wide range of students thanks to not only its well-developed sports infrastructure but also a high level of education that in the long term will be available online.

Russian Student Sports Union President Oleg Matytsin, who joined the FISU representatives in their tour around the venues, indicated that one of the primary goals of the International Education Centre was to transfer the experience of delivering Universiades to future University Games organizing committees. “It’s important that FISU positions itself not only as an international federation that organizes a large-scale sporting event but as an organization aimed at providing educational activities,” he said. According to Oleg Matytsin, it’s time to take particular actions in order to launch the centre, education programs and define nature of activities of the FISU International Education Centre.

We would remind you that  the Memorandum on creation of the FISU International Education Centre for developing international education, sports and cultural programs in university sports was signed on July 30, 2010 within the 1st International Forum “Russia – Country of Sports”. The International Education Centre will be run under the Volga Region Academy of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism in Kazan. The Centre will operate the 2013 SU sports venues for its educational activities.

When asked why it was Kazan that was chosen for founding the International Education Centre, Claude-Louis Gallien confessed: “Your President is physically fit, you are a bridge between Europe and Asia and it’s you that initiated it and offered the best conditions for creating the centre.”

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)