Rhine Ruhr 2025

The FISU World Conference from July 17 to 19, 2025 will be a beacon for international scientific exchange in the field of sports. With the theme “Competing for Change: Exploring Sustainability and (Mental) Health through Sports”, the academic highlight of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games is at the center of a global debate about the future of sports and beyond. The University Alliance Ruhr (UA Ruhr) will play a central role as an academic partner and, as part of the Academic Board, will contribute significantly to the organization and implementation of the conference.

The conference in the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum will be accompanied by outstanding keynotes and panel discussions and will address important challenges of today: mental health, ecological sustainability and physical performance in sports. Students are particularly emphasized as a target group, as they are confronted with both the challenges of academic life and the stresses of competitive sports.

Subtopics of the conference

• Mental health and performance under pressure among athletes
• Balancing acts: work-life balance and resilience among high-performance coaches, referees and the entourage
• Ecological sustainability on campus
• Health and wellbeing in sports and physical activity

The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World Conference will be held in English. Any element in German will be translated simultaneously into English.

Tickets are available here until April 30, 2025 – first come, first served.

All further information about the FISU World Conference can be found on the official website.

Students who write their thesis on topics related to the FISU World Conference can apply for the Master Thesis Awards and win up to €1,500. Further details on the application and the conditions of participation for the official “Outstanding Thesis Award” can be found here.

You haven't finished your thesis yet, but you have a promising idea? Here you will find all the information about the “Outstanding Thesis Concept Award”, in which up to €1,500 is also awarded for the best exposé.

The international lecture series 'Rhine-Ruhr et al. (2025)' is a flagship project of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Games Organising Committee, which is delivered in a partnership with Hochschule Macromedia (Hamburg) and other universities around the world. It explores the history and evolution of university sports, highlighting pioneers, visionaries, and relevant institutions such as FISU and national university sports federations. Additionally, the series presents perspectives from various continents on university sports and major sporting events, addressing sustainability and legacy initiatives.