FISU International Education Centre with Courses for Young Sports Journalists

KAZAN – The day before the International Conference “Sport. Education. Culture” to be held in Kazan, the Chair of the FISU Press Committee, EC Member Leonz Eder had a chance to meet with Yusup Yakubov, Rector of the Volga State Academy of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism and Ekaterina Kosurova, Press Attaché at the Ministry on Affairs of Youth, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Tatarstan. In the framework of the FISU International Education Centre with 5-7 fields of studies it’s also foreseen to establish a course for young sports journalists. This project, initiated by the Volga State Academy of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism and supported by the Russian Olympic Committee, the Executive Directorate of the 27th Universiade 2013 in Kazan and AIPS, the International Sports Press Association, would also like to have FISU as its partner.

At the moment the leaders of this program are developing the structure and the concept of this course which should be staged regularly in the future, not only linked to the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan. One of the goals of this study program for young sports journalists is to prepare them for future Universiades, to train them for other multisport events and to promote the Universiade throughout the media in the global world. With the help of top class lecturers and tutors the two-years-course would become a pilot project also including the training of volunteers for their specific work in a press center. According to Yusup Yakubov, FISU is more than welcome to be partner of this project in the framework of the FISU International Education Centre and could contribute with its image to the promotion of sports, especially University sports. Ekaterina Kosurova underlined the wish that students in journalism should get involved in the different test events prior to the Universiade, using these events as a platform for promoting the Games and FISU by reporting about these events not only in Russia but in all the countries where they are coming from.

Leonz Eder stressed the fact that besides this regular study program FISU is very much interested to host a seminar for young sports journalists also during the Kazan Universiade, following the 1st seminar to be held in Shenzhen, China. Tomorrow a meeting with Marat Bariev, Executive Director of the Russian Olympic Committee, will offer the FISU delegates a chance to learn more about the involvement of the Russian Olympic Committee in this project.

(Source: Leonz Eder, Chairman FISU Press Committee)