Academic & Leadership Team
TU Dortmund University is also involved in official roles in the organization and implementation of the FISU Games: Christoph Edeler is on duty as Head of Delegation and Prof. Thomas Jaitner is involved in the Academic Board of the FISU Conference.
Christoph Edeler
What is your role at the FISU Games 2025?
I will be leading the delegation of the German team with a colleague from Bochum.
What are your core tasks before and during the Games?
Our core tasks haven't been decided yet because it's so big and varied. In the end, we will be the interface between the organizing committee and the German delegation. We will also be the contact persons for the German team and represent them in various places. And of course I want to and will also be at various sports competitions.
What are you most looking forward to?
I'm really happy to have the honor of being part of the delegation leadership. What's more, the games are taking place in our home region, which is just incredible for me as a sports fan and now Dortmund resident. There will certainly be a lot to do in the run-up to the games in order to set up the team in the best possible way. I'm really looking forward to the challenge. The first highly emotional moment will certainly be when we enter the stadium for the opening ceremony.
Why should TU students attend the games or take part as volunteer?
Students and top athletes from more than 150 countries are coming to our region. In addition to great sports, there will be the opportunity to cheer on your fellow students. There will be cultural highlights and a great supporting program. This year's World University Games are the biggest sporting event in the world and we naturally want to be great hosts.
If there are any other important points to mention, please feel free to add them:
I am happy and grateful that the university and my team are supporting me. It is a great privilege for me to be part of such an event.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Jaitner
What is your role at the FISU Games 2025?
In addition to the sporting competitions, the World University Games will also include a scientific conference. Together with the researchers from the sports science institutions of the University Alliance Ruhr, I am a member of the academic board of the FISU World Conference. The board includes other German and international academics and FISU representatives.
What are your main tasks?
The main task of the Academic Board is to design and support the scientific program. Among other things, we select speakers for the keynotes and review the submitted scientific papers. The FISU World Conference is dedicated to the topic of sustainability and health through sport and is therefore aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Members of my Training & Exercise Science working group will also be presenting research findings on the topic of health and injury prevention.
What makes the FISU World Conference special compared to other international conferences in sports science?
The special thing about the FISU World Conference is that it is directly linked to the second largest international sports event and thus combines sports practice and sports science research in a special way. At the FISU World Conference, the focus is on applied science and, above all, on student sport. By bringing together players from university sports and university research and student athletes, we expect very exciting discussions that go beyond the boundaries of the respective communities.
Why is it worthwhile for students to volunteer at the FISU Games?
Volunteering at the FISU Games is an excellent opportunity for students to get up close and personal with an internationally renowned competitive sporting event and experience top-class sport first-hand. What is particularly great, however, is the chance to meet athletes and spectators from all over the world and share their enthusiasm for sport.
How are you looking forward to the FISU Games in the Ruhr region and the FISU World Conference?
I'm looking forward to the FISU Games and hope that the FISU Games will bring the Olympic spirit that was so great to experience at last year's Olympic Games in Paris to the Ruhr region. They are also a great opportunity for the Ruhr region to position itself internationally in top-class sport.
The FISU World Conference from July 17-19 in the Jahrhunderthalle Bochum will also bring together science, sport and the public, as competitions, a scientific conference and a cultural festival will take place in one place. This promises very exciting and varied days.
Will you be attending competitions yourself?
I will definitely be watching 3x3 and wheelchair basketball, which are taking place in parallel to the FISU World Conference in the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum. Apart from that, I will try to take in as much as possible. There are lots of exciting competitions in the Ruhr region!