Newsportal - Ruhr-Universität Bochum

The joy is indescribable. Bochum will be one of five locations in the Rhine-Ruhr region to host the World University Games 2025. “We welcome international top-level sport and look forward to athletes from all over the world,” says RUB Rector Professor Axel Schölmerich. Following a complex two-year bidding process by the ministries and sports associations, the “Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire” (FISU) attributed the games to Rhine-Ruhr region on 15 May 2021.

Great honour for the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region

The initiator of the bidding campaign and current organiser of the “Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games” is the German University Sports Association. The representative of the NRW State Conference for university sports is Ines Lenze, head of university sports in Bochum. The games in 18 disciplines will be held at sports facilities in Bochum, Essen, Mülheim, Duisburg and Düsseldorf. Along with RUB, the participating universities are Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and the University of Duisburg-Essen. In addition to encounters between top athletes, the event will focus on research, sustainability and innovation as well as intercultural exchange.

“Winning the bid for the games is a tremendous success for all involved and a great honour for the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region,” says RUB Rector Schölmerich. “As the university of one of the host cities and as a partner university of top sports, we will do our utmost to ensure that we experience unforgettable moments and that the athletes get the best impressions of the densest university landscape in Europe and the region.”

Unique opportunities in sports and regional politics

The World University Games – formerly known as the Universiade – are the largest student sports event and the world’s largest multi-sport event after the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Germany hosted the games only once before: in Duisburg in the summer of 1989. “This event connects the region with well over 100 nations and their national university sports associations and student athletes,” says Ines Lenze. “This offers unique opportunities in terms of sports and regional policy, which we intend to use jointly with all partners and universities.”