2013 SU Update: FISU Seminar: Teamwork is the Secret to Success

The FISU delegates with the OC members 

KAZAN – The three-day FISU Seminar dedicated to the preparation and staging of the 27th Summer Universiade has concluded on January 19th inKazan.

The FISU Family delegation headed by FISU Secretary-General/CEO Eric Saintrond and comprising FISU Director for the Summer Universiade Marc Vandenplas, FISU Director for the Winter Universiade Milan Augustin, FISU CTI Chair for the Summer Universiade John Warnock, Chair of theFISUMedical Commission Dr. Lawrence Rink, Director of Educational and Development Services of FISU Kolë Gjeloshaj and other experts, has conducted a series of workshops at the seminar. On the Russian side the event saw the participation of 1st Vice-President of FISU and Russian Student Sports Union President Oleg Matytsin, representatives of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate, Tatarstan’s ministries and departments, sponsors and partners, higher education institutions, NGOs, as well as hoteliers and restaurant-keepers of Kazan, Kazan 2013 volunteers and media outlets.

For three days the seminar participants have been discussing functional areas in the preparations and staging of the Games, such as sports event management, safety control, medical service and doping control, media and TV broadcasting, information technologies, financial liabilities, protocol and others.

Azat Kadyrov1st Deputy Director of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate Azat Kadyrov admitted that the seminar had been productive of much good. “We had an opportunity to raise all matters of concern, to clarify details related to the complicated process of preparing and hosting the 2013 Summer Universiade. We’ve been looking forward to this seminar and we can state now that it has become the first successful project implemented together with the FISU International Education Centre.”

Seminar participantsSummarising the key results of the seminar, Azat Kadyrov also mentioned FISU’s readiness to provide the Kazan 2013 Organising Committee with regulatory documents, statistical data and regulations that would allow to systematize work. “It’s very important for us to specify the role and responsibilities of functional areas in the run up to the Games, as presently, together with experts of PricewaterhouseCoopers, our new partner company, we are in the process of elaborating operational and tactical plans for the Universiade”, the 1st Deputy Director of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate said.

The most prominent questions highlighted during the FISU Seminar were the key control centre’s operation, interaction with staff and contractors, and functional areas’ responsibilities. “We’ve put hands to a very challenging task. Our teamwork is a key to success, together we must show that we are capable to address issues like that,” Azat Kadyrov said to staff members of the Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate.

(Source: Media Department of Kazan 2013 Executive Directorate)

FISU Seminar to become a Tradition

Oleg Matytsin

Oleg Matytsin has given a high appraisal to the FISU Seminar on the preparation and staging of the 27th World University Summer Games that has been running in the city ofKazanfrom January 17-19

Drawing up the results of the seminar, that spanned for three days in the host city of the forthcoming World University Summer Games in Kazan, 1st Vice President of FISU and Russian Student Sports Union President Oleg Matytsin stated that the seminar had been preceded by a careful preparation by both FISU and Team 2013. «Upon the initiative of the Organising Committee and Directorate of the Kazan Universiade, we are developing a new way of seeing FISU educational projects:we’ve opened the FISU International Education Centre, we’ve held the FISU Debriefing, and now we are hosting the FISU Seminar. We understand that there are no little things in such an important and large-scale project as the preparations for the Universiade. That’s why any experience is unique», Oleg Matytsin said.

At the same time he pointed out the importance of language aspect in establishing an efficient communication between the organising committees and within them. «Our activity is quite specific and requires the use of complicated terms», Oleg Matytsin said. «In this regard I’d like to be sure that we understand each other 100%, that’s why it’s extremely topical to launch projects for learning subject-specific terminology in foreign languages.»

Oleg Matytsin & Eric Saintrond with volunteers

Oleg Matytsin also expressed his confidence that seminars like the one hosted byKazanwill become a tradition for FISU. This idea was backed up by FISU SG/CEO Eric Saintrond. «We are impressed with the seminar and level of questions we could discuss here. The event was well organised, just like always. I’m positive that the same thing will be with the Universiade. Despite the fact that the Games will last only 12 days, first of all it’s a pleasant and fantastic experience for those who will take part in their delivery. I’m asking you to apply all knowledge that you’ll accumulate within the next 18 months and transfer it to those who surround you», Eric Saintrond said, while addressing the Kazan 2013 organisers.

The next time the FISU Family delegates will arrive in Kazan is in May 2012, when the meeting of the FISU Executive Committee will be held there.