Sociology of Sport

News from the Sociology of Sport Department

Learning to Know European Sports Cultures – International exchange program successfully completed

As part of the international exchange program “Learning to Know European Sports Cultures”, students from the University of Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and the SWI came together at the beginning of the year to learn, conduct research, and explore European sports cultures from different perspectives. Initiated and implemented in collaboration between the SWI and the University of Mostar by Prof. Dr. Werner Pitsch and Patrick Braeunig (Saarbrücken), as well as Prof. Rijad Novaković and AmelJazvin (Mostar), the program placed particular emphasis not only on academic content but also on intercultural exchange and collaborative work in international groups.

Following a preparatory online phase, the students from Mostar visited the institute from February 23 to 27. During this first mobility phase, they took part in seminars, practical sports sessions, and cultural activities, gaining insights into the local academic and sports culture. The second mobility phase took place from March 9 to 13 at the University of Mostar, where joint academic work was deepened through additional seminars, research tasks, and on-site interactions.

The exchange program, funded by ERASMUS+, concluded with a joint online reflection session in which the results were summarized in presentations and short videos. The project made an important contribution to the internationalization of the institute and strengthened European academic exchange. Further collaborations with European partner universities are already being planned.

Establishment of a mobility window in sports science

As part of the visit of a delegation from Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas, Lithuania) to Saarland University, an important step toward the internationalization of sports sciences was achieved. In a joint meeting of the executive boards, an agreement was signed to establish a mobility window in sports sciences, the development and implementation of which was significantly supported by Prof. Dr. Werner Pitsch.

The mobility window creates a reliable structural framework for student mobility between the partner universities. It enables students to integrate study abroad periods into their degree programs in a meaningful way and without extending their time to graduation. At the same time, the recognition of academic achievements completed abroad is systematically facilitated.

The agreement represents an important contribution to the further development of international cooperation and strengthens mobility and intercultural exchange, particularly within the context of the European university alliance Transform4Europe (T4EU).

For the Sociology of Sport department, the agreement opens up new perspectives for the sustainable integration of international teaching and learning formats and helps to provide students with valuable experiences within a European higher education context.