FISU President

Opening Ceremony
13 September (Friday) 15:00–15:15 CEST
Students engagement within NUSF and CUSF
13 September (Friday) 16:00–16:45 CEST

Leonz Eder started his career as a teacher at Primary School in Zug and later at St. Gallen University as the Head of Sports department. In his young years he was active as an athlete of regional level in Artistic Gymnastics, Handball and Volleyball. Leonz entered the sports movement first as a National Coach in Athletics, then since 1983 he was involved in the Swiss University Sports movement first as Member of the Board and since 1998 as Managing Director of the Swiss University Sports Federation. As part of the Swiss NUSF he was a member of the Organising Committees of numerous FISU World University Championships in different sports. He still serves as Chairman of the Swiss University Sports Foundation. Since 1991 he was involved in FISU as Member and Chair of different Committees and Working groups and he served as a Member of the FISU Executive Committee since 2003 (Vice President 2011-15, 1st Vice President since 2015-23). In January 2021 he became FISU Acting President and had to stand for the development of the University sports movement in the challenging time of COVID-19 pandemic and rapidly changing political situation worldwide. He proved to show adaptability and force to help FISU overcome met challenges with 2 successfully organised FISU World University Games in 2023 (USA and China). He was elected President at the FISU General Assembly on 18 November 2023 in Geneva.

FISU Vice-President

Students engagement within NUSF and CUSF
13 September (Friday) 16:00–16:45 CEST
Graduated with Bachelor's degree of International Law in Peking University and Master's degree of International Law & Doctor degree of Laws in Renmin University of China, she has been the professor of Law School in Hainan University and visiting scholar in University of Hawaii, USA. While working as Deputy Director-General of the Education Department of Hainan Province and Director-General of Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education of P.R.C, she has been dedicated herself to promoting educational cooperation domestically and internationally. Now she serves as the National Deputy General Inspector of the Ministry of Education of P.R.C. Meanwhile, she has shown deep passion for sports since being a badminton athlete at school and university level, and started her tenure as the Vice President of the Chinese Badminton Association since 2019. Designated as the Vice Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of Chengdu FISU World University Games Summer in 2023, she was fully engaged in the whole process of bidding, preparation and delivery of the Games. She joined in FISU Family as FISU Vice President in 2023, and looks forward to exchanges with all the participants during FVLA.
FISU Secretary General/CEO

Whats up FISU
13 September (Saturday) 15:15–16:00 CEST
A graduate from the Faculty of Motor Sciences (ISM) of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Eric Saintrond began his career in the private sector, academic circles and in national and international sports organisations.

In 1985 he joined the administrative headquarters of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), at that time based in Brussels. He quickly evolved within FISU and held the positions of the Director of the Games, General Director and finally Secretary General-CEO, the position he has held since November 2007.

His diverse career has undoubtedly helped him to progress within the organization that besides being multisport is also very involved in the academic community. Upon his nomination as SG-CEO, he transformed the structure and functioning of FISU and initiated the historic move of the headquarters from Brussels to Lausanne, the Olympic Capital. He also created not less than five new departments and signed the very first partnership agreements with major companies such as Tissot and Eurosport.
FISU Media and Communications Committee Chair

Students engagement within NUSF and CUSF
13 September (Friday) 16:00–16:45 CEST
Chidiebere Ezeani is sports media personality, marketer, and development professional from Nigeria. Her career has revolved around her unwavering passion for sports both in management and events. She proudly served as Acting National Secretary for the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) since January 2022-2024. Her role involved coordinating NUGA events, managing its social media presence, handling media coverage, and driving marketing initiatives. She was head of delegation for Nigeria at FISU Games in Chengdu, China. A member of the FISU U-media team since 2015. She has worked as Volunteer Manager for the Federation of African University Sports (FASU) Games in Nairobi, Kenya, effectively overseeing international volunteers. Chidiebere Ezeani is also the Founder of Glitzsport, a dynamic sports media platform focusing on African university sports giving a platform to student journalists and other volunteers to publish sports articles, photos, and videos. Her skill set encompasses event management, sports marketing, development, volunteer and team management, and social media. Chidiebere serves as a FASU Executive Committee member, she now works Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU Summer Games Delegations Service Assistant.
FISU Education Committee Member

FISU Events and Opportunities
13 September (Friday) 16:50–17:30 CEST
Residing in the United Kingdom; Bill contributes a significant amount of knowledge, experience and perspective towards the Global Sports Movement. A former Director of Sport within Higher Education in London, he now concentrates his efforts on Strategic Planning and Risk Management with the University of Exeter. A member of the FISU Education Committee since 2019, he is passionate about empowering future leaders with skills and building resilience in a very challenging and uncertain world. Bill works with Donna Spethman to lead ensure delivery of the FISU Springboard Programme.

FISU Education Committee Member

FISU Events and Opportunities
13 September (Friday) 16:50–17:30 CEST
Currently living in Germany, Donna leads the International Relations team at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games. Donna is also Secretary General for FISU Oceania and Company Secretary for Grass Skirt Project - a charity in Papua New Guinea that uses sport to as a tool to reduce gender based violence. Donna has achieved post graduate qualifications with the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Institute of Risk Management (UK). As a member of the FISU Education Committee since 2019, Donna is dedicated to creating and supporting opportunities that provide personal and professional growth for student leaders. She works with Bill Thompson to lead the delivery of the FISU Springboard Programme.
FISU Student Ambassador 2021-2022 for Republic of Korea
Team leader 2023, 2024

Recap of Day 1
14 September (Saturday) 15:00–15:15 CEST
Min Joo Kim is currently majoring in international cooperation for her master’s degree at Seoul National University. She represented her country, Republic of Korea at the 2021 and 2022 FVLA and was the Student Ambassador for seasons 21/22 and 22/23. During her ambassador term, she actively engaged in activities including interviewing her NUSF President, celebrating IDUS, and supporting her country’s bid for 2027 World University Games. She also led a FISU-NUSF project and organized the first-ever FISU national academy in Korea, ‘FISU Academy Korea,’ creating a platform for national university sports to become leaders of university sports and beyond. Moreover, she also took part in the Student Springboard Mentoring Programme, 2022 Costa Rica FISU World Forum as well as interned at the 2023 Lake Placid World University Organizing Committee. Currently, she is continuing her efforts as team leader since the 2023 FVLA and working to provide a more meaningful impact through university sports. In addition, she is also involved in fencing, wheelchair fencing, taekwondo, and international relations, aspiring to build her experiences further in international sports.
Venue Workforce Manager
Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Volunteer Management
14 September (Saturday) 15:15–16:00 CEST
"Accepting the unexpected and learning to manage it is ultimately what has enabled me to grow and develop in the professional world.
Living in Paris, it was an opportunity and a dream to participate, both for us employees and for our volunteers, in the organization of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I've always been passionate about sport, but it was my first experience ever in Volunteer Management, I felt lucky to manage 1,300 volunteers between the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Managing so many people means managing priorities and people on a daily basis. The human element is such an inspiring complexity.
The Paris 2024 volunteers are people from different backgrounds, cultures and origins, all united around a common sporting value, with a desire to move forward together. Getting the best out of each person, while respecting them all, is the challenge I face every day"
FISU Education & Student Committee Member 2024-2027
FASU Student Committee member
Volunteer Manager Nigerian Universities Games Associations
FISU Student Ambassador for Nigeria and Team leader

FISU Student Committee
14 September (Saturday) 16:00–16:25 CEST
Adebayo represented Nigeria under the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) at FVLA in 2020, 2021, and 2022, serving as a FISU Student Ambassador for three consecutive terms. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Human Kinetics from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. As a member of the FISU family, Adebayo serves on the Education & Student Committee. Additionally, at the Federation of Africa University Sports (FASU), he is a member of the Student Committee and currently serves as the 11th FASU Games Volunteer Subcommittee Chairperson, where he is responsible for the recruitment and management of volunteers for the games. At NUGA, Adebayo is a Project and Volunteer Manager, having successfully managed events such as the International Day of University Sport (IDUS) in 2020, 2021, and 2022 in Nigeria. He also oversaw the recruitment and management of 1,000 volunteers for the 2022 NUGA Games. Adebayo possesses strong project management and volunteer management skills, with expertise in organising large-scale events, coordinating teams, and developing effective recruitment and training programmes for volunteers. His experience includes strategic planning, team leadership, and stakeholder engagement.
FISU Student Committee and Education Committee member
FISU Student Ambassador 2023 for Lebanon

FISU Student Committee
14 September (Saturday) 16:00–16:25 CEST
Lara is a third year Civil and Environmental Engineering student- athlete, and an avid learner willing to work towards curating a more sustainable earth with interests in developing technology, human interaction, creative writing, and professional development. She is a national swimmer and national record holder. Lara joined the national team at age 14 and has represented Lebanon at the 1st interschool Arab Gymniziade (2017) and Chengdu 2021 World University Games (2023). In addition to swimming, she plays Futsal on the AUB womens varsity team under the supervision of coach Dory Zakhour. Lara is also the team manager and social media manager of the team. She enjoys rock climbing, surfing, and participating in obstacle course races.
Chief Operating Officer at Goodnotes

Servant Leadership in the age of AI
14 September (Saturday) 16:30–17:15 CEST
Dr. Minh Tran is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Goodnotes, a beloved digital note-taking app that won Apple's 2022 iPad App of the Year. With a BA in Psychology from Yale University and a Doctorate in Education from the University of Hong Kong, Dr. Tran started his career as a 5th grade math and science teacher in Los Angeles and Yale-China teaching fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Prior to Goodnotes, Dr. Tran was the Executive Director of Academic Affairs at EF Education First, where he advised governments in more than 20 countries on large-scale assessment and training initiatives, and the founding Executive Director of Bloom KKCA Academy, a new K-12 bilingual school of innovation. Dr. Tran is also a Board Trustee of CUHK's New Asia College and the Yale-China Association.
FISU Student Committee and Media Committee member 2024-2027
FISU Student Ambassador 2020-2022 for Slovakia
Team leader 2022

FISU Student Ambassadors programme
14 September (Saturday) 17:15–17:40 CEST
"Michal has been part of the FISU Student Ambassador for almost five years now and, since then, has gained insights into the programme as a team leader, moderator, speaker and recruiter of the ambassadors.
He is studying for an M.A. in International Sports Development and Politics at the German Sports University in Cologne, Germany. His sports career includes participating in more than 30 sports events. Most recently, he has been working as a coordinator of the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) at the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee. He is a member of the FISU Stundets and Media Committee for 2023-2027."
Project coordinator of the FISU Student Ambassadors programme
FISU Auditor in the team of Healthy Campus programme

FISU Student Ambassadors programme
14 September (Friday) 17:15–17:40 CEST
Albina worked on the strategic direction and development of FVLA since its inception in 2017. She started volunteering in 2008 and was awarded a Volunteer of the Year status of her city in 2010 in Kazan. She was the Head of communications and database at the Volunteer Department during the 2013 World University Games 2013. She pioneered and implemented a course and a book "English 4U" aimed at teaching volunteers from 20 cities. She has an extensive volunteering experience at the World University Games in Belgrade 2009, Erzurum 2011, Youth Olympic Games 2010, Innsbruck 2012, London Olympics 2012, EuroSkills 2016, WorldSkills 2017, FIFA World Cup 2018 and countless national events. Now she is the Project coordinator of both FVLA and FISU Student Ambassadors programme and also the FISU auditor in the team of Healthy Campus programme.
Contact us
    •  
    •  
    •