On this day, September 20, the world celebrates the International Day of University Sport, an annual event officially recognized by UNESCO and the International University Sport Federation (FISU) since 2016. The aim is to highlight the vital role that sports play in university life, not only as a physical activity, but also as a fundamental pillar in character building and promoting values of belonging, cooperation, and openness to others.
The Syrian Future Movement, in commemorating this occasion, emphasizes the importance of consolidating the culture of university sports in Syria, as an integral part of our national project to build the new Syrian individual: a free, balanced individual, capable of creativity and active participation in public life.
Given the decades of institutional marginalization of universities in Syria, transforming them into closed spaces devoid of vitality, rehabilitating university sports represents a fundamental step toward rebuilding the Syrian university as an integrated civil institution that embraces thought, creativity, and the body, and produces generations capable of advancing society.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that university sports are an educational and social practice that promotes:
- Students’ mental and physical health.
- National belonging through teams representing universities in local and international forums.
- Justice and equality through providing opportunities for participation for all groups without discrimination.
- Leadership and responsibility through teamwork and discipline.
The Syrian Future Movement calls on relevant authorities—from the Ministry of Higher Education, to student unions, to university administrations—to incorporate this day into the national calendar and organize sporting and cultural events that reflect the true spirit of the university, reconnect Syrian students with their surroundings, and open up new horizons for expression and participation.
The Syrian Future Movement also calls for:
- Establishing an independent and effective national university sports association.
- Including university sports in educational development plans.
- Supporting sports infrastructure in universities, especially in marginalized areas.
On International University Sports Day, the Syrian Future Movement believes that the Syria we dream of is not only built in the halls of politics, but also in university campuses, where thought meets body, and dreams meet action.
Let us celebrate this day, not as a slogan, but as a permanent practice that restores the Syrian university’s pioneering role in building individuals and society.
