Presentation of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Awards in Bochum
As part of the FISU World Conference during the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, several awards were presented, highlighting international university sports from different perspectives: the Green Delegation Award, the Outstanding Thesis Award, and, for the first time in Germany, the awarding of the FISU Healthy Campus Label. All three recognitions share a central message: university sport is not only competition, but also a driver of sustainability, science, and health.
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Premiere: Green Delegation Award
The Green Delegation Award honors delegations committed to ecological sustainability. A panel of experts evaluated the submissions based on impact, degree of innovation, feasibility, and long-term effect.
Award Winners 2025:
Uganda – €1,500 prize money Through nationwide tree-planting campaigns, virtual planning meetings, plastic-free training routines, and environmental workshops, the delegation impressed with a holistic approach.
Georgia – €650 prize money With its own “Green Kits,” a zero-waste strategy, CO₂ compensation, and a social media campaign, the delegation provided strong momentum.
United Kingdom – €350 prize money The British delegation stood out with group travel to reduce emissions, recycled team clothing, and consistent avoidance of paper and plastic.
“The Green Delegation Award symbolizes the shift toward a more sustainable international university sport,” emphasized the jury at the official ceremony. The group photo of the awardees on stage sent a strong signal of global responsibility.
Students & Science in Focus: Outstanding Thesis Award
The Outstanding Thesis Award 2025 recognized exceptional bachelor’s and master’s theses by students from German universities. The jury particularly commended innovative research questions, methodological creativity, and practical relevance.
Award Winners 2025:
Maxime Launay (University of Bayreuth, Sports Economics M.Sc.) – €1,500 “Paris 2024 as a Pilot Project of IOC Modernization: A Survey Study on Olympic Attitudes of the Population”
Gero Ziegler (Ruhr University Bochum, Sports Science B.Sc.) – €650 “Analysis of the Scoring Potential of Various Maneuvers in Professional Women’s Surfing”
Dennis Köstler (Ruhr University Bochum, Sport and Exercise Sciences M.Sc.) – €350 “Ashwagandha Supplementation During a 12-Week Resistance Training Program Does Not Improve Heart Rate Variability, Cortisol, and Stress Perception in Physically Active Adults”
In addition to prize money, the award winners received ground passes to the Games. All participants also received exclusive tickets for the Opening Ceremony on July 16 at the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena.
Promoting Health & Sustainability on Campus: FISU Healthy Campus Label
During the FISU World Conference 2025, another significant recognition was awarded: the FISU Healthy Campus Label.
With this international program, FISU supports universities in further developing their health management through targeted evaluations – thereby actively contributing to the physical, mental, and social well-being of their members. Universities worldwide are invited to join the certification program.
In the context of the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Games, the label was awarded for the first time in Germany, in cooperation with the German University Sports Federation (adh), to ten universities. Registration had already taken place in July 2024 via the Healthy Campus platform. After one year of evaluation, the universities were now ceremoniously certified.
Further details & information about the ten recognized universities: adh news article Contact for inquiries: gesundheit@adh.de
Common Message
The three awards clearly demonstrate that the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games go far beyond athletic competition. While the Green Delegation Award recognizes delegations for ecological responsibility and visibility, and the Outstanding Thesis Award honors scientific excellence, the Healthy Campus Label strengthens the dimension of sustainability and, above all, health promotion at universities.
This creates a strong signal: international university sport unites sustainability, research, and well-being – and thus contributes to solutions for global future challenges, which must of course continue to be expanded.