2011 SU update: FISU Conference: day1

After the official opening of the conference, Alison Odell, CESU vice-chair and new elected 1st FISU assessor has presented the 1st key-note speech “London 2012: Shaping legacy”. Sustainability, partnership, cohesion, inclusivity have appeared as key elements while preparing strategy for the organisation of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games in London. Next speaker, Xiaopei Yan, deputy director of Shenzen Municipal People’s Congress, demonstrated on example of the Shenzen Universiade in which way a major sporting event is the catalyst for driving improvement in social and economic aspects of a city and its region. Indeed, hosting sports events has become one of the major development strategies of the city of Shenzen and proved to increase the competitiveness of the city. Numbers of areas have been improved including infrastructure and transportation. The Shenzen Bay Sports Center “Cocoon” which hosted the opening ceremony is one of the 69 newly-built or renovated venues on the occasion of the Universiade. Universiade contributes also to civil spirit building with more than 1,2 million of volunteers that have been prepared and trained by local leaders in order to support the Universiade organisation.

The last speakers of the 1st day of the conference, Anthony Davis, Director of Sport at the University of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica and President of the Jamaica Intercollegiate Sports Association has presented the strategic development of the U-TECH Jamaica sport programme in producing some of the world’s best student athletes.

(Source: Renata Bojczuk, CESU Member)

 Anthony Davis, Director of Sport at the University of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica, and President of the Jamaica Intercollegiate Sports Association