"Adopt a Delegation": Welcoming the World to Rhine-Ruhr 2025

“Adopt a Delegation” – the name said it all. More than 30 delegations were “adopted” by schools, universities and higher education institutions across Germany and given a warm and very special welcome in the Rhine-Ruhr region and in Berlin.

Through individual projects, pupils and students learned about the national characteristics of their adopted delegation. What made the project truly stand out were the personal insights gained through direct and exclusive contact. Intercultural exchange was at the heart of it all. While many school pupils discovered new perspectives on university-level competitive sport and the vast multi-sport event taking place right on their doorstep, universities and higher education institutions established and deepened international ties that will endure well beyond the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games.

Carolin Ruth, Senior Manager Science & Education, summed it up: “Together with adh and the Ministry for Schools and Education in North Rhine-Westphalia, we were able to implement ‘Adopt a Delegation’ as a format that we hope will continue at future FISU World University Games. As the Games took place during the summer holidays here in NRW, it was important to us to involve schools actively in advance. The project was also well received in the university sector. Thanks to the great commitment of all participants, the first edition was definitely more than successful!”

University Projects

TU Ilmenau dedicated its University Campus Festival entirely to Rhine-Ruhr 2025. The university leadership went “all in”, facing 13 creative challenges set by students. The “Beat the Boss” campus edition brought heated competitions in Swiss log-nailing and Swedish welly-throwing.

HU Berlin’s university sports department reported – in flawless Swedish – on its Midsummer Festival with more than 100 students, while the University of Duisburg-Essen deepened its ties with Brazil. RWTH Aachen’s university sports team supported their Costa Rican delegation with a dedicated social media campaign.

School Projects

The Sophie-Scholl Vocational College in Duisburg kicked things off with a mini-Universiade in three Rhine-Ruhr 2025 sports – volleyball, 3x3 basketball and table tennis – in cooperation with their Dutch partner school from Arnhem.

The all-day school programme at Bochum’s Nature School began as early as the Easter holidays, getting to know their Polish partner delegation – not least through homemade pierogi. During project week, pupils crafted their own Witamy (“Welcome”) signs and tried their hand at archery.

At Landrat-Lucas Grammar School in Leverkusen, one of Germany’s elite sports schools, pupils explored the history and culture of Kazakhstan while also visiting competition venues of the Games across the Ruhr region.

Primary school pupils at the Carl Orff School in Hürth asked their Australian delegation not only about popular sports. After all, when else do you get the chance to find out what a real kangaroo feels like?

Another highlight was the first Duisburg Rowing Ergometer Cup between Steinbart Grammar School, Lise Meitner Comprehensive School, Duisburg Meiderich Comprehensive School and Mannesmann Grammar School. The final, modelled on the legendary Boat Race, took place during the Duisburg Flame Relay, cheered on by pupils from Years 5 to 7 and the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 mascot Wanda. UK delegation leader Stew was thrilled by the local enthusiasm, as was Ingmar Becker, project coordinator at Steinbart Grammar School: “We had a fantastic day with our pupils and the Rhine-Ruhr team. It was an extraordinary sports project that we hope to continue in the coming years and turn into a tradition.”

Alongside these, many more projects were carried out with this year’s delegations of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games. In total, more than 3,000 pupils and 1,300 students were involved. The organising team would like to thank all teachers and participants for their commitment and enthusiasm – YOU WERE ALL IN.