Ideal study conditions for athletes
FAU and THN are two partner universities for top athletes in the region.
Athletic excellence requires intensive commitment from athletes. It is often a significant challenge to combine a professional sports career with academic study. Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm (THN) are ideal universities for helping top athletes to do this: On 1 September 2020, FAU renewed its cooperation with the German University Sports Association (adh), Student Services Erlangen-Nürnberg and the Olympic Training Centre in Bavaria (OSP) as a ‘partner university of elite sport’; TH Nürnberg has also signed a cooperation agreement for the first time.
Competitive sports are practised by young athletes at a particular stage of their lives in which they must also lay the foundations for a professional career. FAU, THN, Student Services, the adh and the OSP are responsible for creating conditions where sporting excellence is compatible with academic training. The cooperation agreements with which FAU renews its commitment as a partner university for elite sport and THN has become a new partner university of the OSP ensure that athletes can successfully complete their studies despite their time commitments to sport.
Through the agreements the universities have committed to giving top athletes preferential access to the desired course of study in the local admission procedures. The universities also intend to offer athletes flexible arrangements in terms of study planning or individual submission and examination dates. In cooperation with Student Services, the agreement also secures places in student accommodation for top athletes within the framework of the public procurement guidelines of the Free State of Bavaria – and measures to help top athletes meet special dietary requirements. The OSP has committed to advising athletes before and during their studies and supports them in managing their sports and study requirements.
For their part, athletes agree to compete in coordination with the adh and the national sports association at university championships and university or student world championships for their university. After completing their studies, they are expected to participate in the alumni programme to advise the next generation of top student athletes.
FAU President Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger is particularly interested in supporting young top athletes: ‘FAU signed an agreement with the Olympic Training Centre in Bavaria for the first time in 1999 – one of the first universities to commit to an agreement for promoting elite sport throughout Germany. Since then, many athletes have studied very successfully at FAU. A renewal and extension of this cooperation agreement is an honour and pleasure for us. We are proud of every single sports personality whose professional career has started here at FAU.’
One of these FAU athletes is Andreas Tausch. He has won eight German championships in Taekwondo and is currently studying a Master’s degree in Psychology at FAU in his second semester. The close cooperation between FAU and elite sport is very valuable to Andreas Tausch: ‘Juggling a professional sports career with university classes represents a difficult challenge, which in my view cannot be implemented without special consideration and flexibility on behalf of the university.’ The cooperation agreement provides a good basis for supporting athletes in their dual careers.’
Fellow athlete Alema Hadzic, a five-time German champion in Taekwondo, is also happy with her choice of university: she is studying a Bachelor’s degree in Media Engineering at THN in Nuremberg. ‘Becoming a partner university for elite sport is an important step in supporting competitive athletes at THN. For me, this makes it easier to arrange training and competitions alongside my studies.’ This has worked well so far, because the professors at my university are very accommodating, but formal recognition of this flexibility is an important milestone.’
THN President Prof. Dr. Niels Oberbeck is pleased to be able to support the athletes at his university even better in the future: ‘Our goal at THN is to create the best conditions for our students to study successfully. This includes meeting the needs of students who are managing career or family commitments, as well as top athletes. It is of great concern to us to take into account the specific needs of top athletes in academic study and examinations. Thanks to the new cooperation agreement, we will be able to further extend our efforts’.
Klaus Sarsky, acting head of the OSP, describes the contract renewal with FAU and the newly won cooperation with TH Nürnberg as an important step towards striking a balance between elite sport and studies: ‘This newly won cooperation is extremely valuable for the Nuremberg region which already has four national training centres – for Taekwondo, wrestling, triathlon and cycling – but in particular for young athletes. Since there are already excellent opportunities for combining education and professional sport with the two elite schools of sport, the Bertolt-Brecht School and the Lothar-von-Faber School, we are able to support talented athletes throughout their education.’
Details on the ‘Partner Universities of Elite Sport’ can be found on the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV) website.
Contact
FAU Press Office
Phone +49 9131 8570299
TH Nürnberg Press Office
Phone: +49 911 5880 4101
OSP Bayern
Kristina Reßler
Phone: +49 89 672685