With the cutting of a ceremonial ribbon, FISU President Mr Oleg Matytsin ushered in a new era as the home of the International University Sports Federation officially opened their new headquarters in the Olympic capital city Lausanne on April 27, 2018.

Situated in a park-like setting inside the University of Lausanne campus, the new base of operations for FISU is the Synathlon — a new building dedicated to sport sciences and international University Sport development. Located with a clear view onto Lake Geneva, the venue is the home base to the International University Sports Cluster, a one-stop shop of organisations and entities that would benefit from industry-leading sports management training and research.



Sharing the Synathlon building with FISU is the University of Lausanne’s sport science operations, ThinkSport, and the International Academy of Sciences and Sports Techniques (AISTS) — the world number one ranked programme in sport management.

During Mr Matytsin’s inauguration ceremony address, the FISU President highlighted the symbolism of FISU moving onto the university campus grounds. And while the day marked the official opening, 30 FISU employees moved into the building three months earlier.



“The biggest compliment that we have for the Synathlon is a simple one, but its also a powerful one,” the FISU President said. “It was only a very short time before we felt completely at home here. Home because FISU has university sport as our very essence.”

Joining Mr Matytsin for the opening were top local and regional political leaders, university officials, sports administrators, and a contingent of journalists. The list of luminaries who spoke at the opening also included three state councillors - Mr Pascal Broulist, Ms Cesla Amarelle and Mr Philippe Leuba; and the Rector of the University of Lausanne Ms Nouria Hernandez.



The official ceremony was the capstone event that put to end a seven-year period of transition as FISU moved its base of operations from Brussels to Lausanne. FISU Secretary General-CEO Mr Eric Saintrond and authorities from the Canton of Vaud began planning and conceptualising the project back in 2010.

In 2012, FISU moved its sports operations and part of its administrative, financial and marketing teams to the nearby Maison du Sport while also maintaining part of its administrative department, and its development, education, and media teams in Brussels until late 2017.



“It was certainly a bold gamble to unite all the organisations involved in sport and education under the Synathlon roof, but its one that’s already paying dividends,” Mr. Saintrond said. “As part of this centre of excellence, FISU is even better suited to promote the concept of dual career.”



For more information, please see www.fisu.net.