International Day of University Sport
The International Day of University Sport (IDUS) is celebrated annually on September 20. Proposed by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), it is officially endorsed by the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organisation (UNESCO).
Among others, the day aims at confirming the importance of sport in universities and the role of universities in the community as responsible actors for consolidating and developing quality physical and sport education at the service of citizens. Each year on 20 September, thanks to its network of university associations, clubs and partners, FISU will mobilise the academic world. The events will propose leisure sport activities, competitions, discussion workshops and cultural happenings to citizens of all ages.
IDUS falls within the framework of a multidisciplinary educational project insisting on the need for physical and sport education programmes, sports facilities and scientific studies in universities, with the purpose of fostering social inclusion, minorities integration and anti-doping, combating non-communicable diseases and the ongoing development of scientific research in the field of physical education and sport, taking into consideration the acquisition and transfer of knowledge as well as, and above all, social and economic policy at the local, national and international levels.
FISU and UNESCO members are invited to celebrate this day based on tailor-made events according to their culture and specific needs with the focus that sport is not to be taken out of universities and left to the initiative of the private sector because sport must be fully integrated in higher education and research structures, taking its rightful place in multidisciplinary strategies. Different partners including universities and municipalities join efforts to also organise festivals in their cities.
Since IDUS was first celebrated in 2016, over 1000 IDUS-related events have been organised, with a record collective three million participants involved in the 2020 celebrations.
EUSA invites you to join the initiative, and share your university sport’s pictures and videos. Publish them on your Facebook, Instagram or Twitter accounts, using the hashtags #LetsIDUS #BeActive and #MyEUSA and send us an email at communications@eusa.eu. We will collect and publish them on our various EUSA media platforms. You are encouraged to use the IDUS logo in your pictures, too. You can print it or add the logo afterwards. See the FISU website for details.
As an associate partner of FISU, EUSA continues to promote the International Day of University Sport, and thanks everyone - student athletes, EUSA members and partners, universities, ambassadors, representatives of sports bodies and volunteers - for taking part in this initiative over the years, and encourage as many participants as possible to continue the celebrations on September 20 each year!
For more information, please visit the the official websites www.fisu.net and www.unesco.org.