Attendees gathered for a group photo following the success of the 4th FISU-AUSF Strategic Dialogue

By Muhammad Ariiq , AUSF Student Media Contributor

30 Nov 2025 | 11:45 PM

MACAO, China – The 4th FISU-AUSF Strategic Dialogue kicked off on 30 November 2025 at the City University of Macao.

Following a successful General Assembly, spirits were high as representatives from FISU and AUSF gathered to discuss the current developments in the sports industry as well as future trends, all in the name of advancing university sport.

With six different speakers spread across two sessions, the key themes shared were collaboration, education and the use of AI to propel university sport forward.

One of the highlights of the dialogue session was the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Signing Ceremony between FISU and AUSF, signifying the continued alliance between the two federations.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FISU and AUSF was signed during the 4th FISU-AUSF Strategic Dialogue

“Collaboration gives university sports one global voice,” Dr Khalid Almuzaini said. “When we invest strategically and collaborate globally, the impact goes far beyond the campus.”

As one of the speakers at the dialogue, AUSF Vice President Dr Khalid Almuzaini stressed on the importance of collaboration between FISU and AUSF in building a global university sport network.

In his capacity as a professor at the King Saud University and the president of the Saudi Universities Sports Federation (SUSF), Dr Almuzaini has been proactively introducing initiatives in Saudi Arabia to improve its level of sporting excellence. However, he believes that such major change cannot be done individually and urges a joint effort between AUSF members, led by FISU.

To end his speech, Dr Almuzaini directed his proposal to FISU President Leonz Eder: “The formula for success is simple, Dr Leonz: investment, collaboration and sustainability to create a lasting impact, with you leading the way, working hand-in-hand.”

AUSF Vice-President Dr Khalid Almuzaini emphasizes on the importance of collaboration to build a global university sport network

Collaboration in the form of education for students also plays an important role in moving university sport forward, as AUSC President Professor Mohamad Rusllim shared in his speech about the need to adapt new approaches in student education.

“A new generation requires a new approach”, Professor Rusllim said.

Professor Mohamad Rusllim calls for a structured education system in order to help student-athletes

With the need to step up engagement efforts with ‘Gen Z’ students who are constantly on social media, he called upon members in attendance to learn from each other and strengthen collaboration.

Professor Rusllim shared about the adoption of an ‘integrated campus of the future’, an initiative that he leads in his capacity as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah (UMPSA). This initiative is guided by UN’s SDG 4 of Quality Education and helps to support student-athletes financially whilst promoting inclusivity.

Professor Rusllim is confident that adopting such an initiative will “not only produce champions, but thinkers, creators and changemakers”.

In fact, FISU Secretary General / CEO Matthias Remund endorsed this message: “We are convinced that students and young people practising sport are the best promising leaders of tomorrow.”

FISU Secretary General / CEO Matthias Remund, part of the panel for the morning session, expresses his support to step up efforts to provide holistic education for students

Extending the conversation on education and growth, AI has become another key force driving development in university sports. Speakers from the Korean National Sport University, Professor Jiwun Yoon and Professor Ji-Yong Lee, shared about how AI is currently used in university sports and encouraged members in attendance to utilize AI for good.

Professor Yoon identified disparities in performance and support levels among Asian universities. She suggested that “AI can reduce gaps and raise the overall level of sport across Asia”.

In his speech, Professor Ji-Yong Lee shared with attendees about harnessing AI as a tool to advance university sport

Professor Lee echoed that sentiment: “When universities make use of AI, sport becomes more fair, more efficient and more scientific.”

Practical applications of AI in university sport include AI-assisted judging system in competitions, performance analytics, doping substance detection and sponsor logo exposure detection.

Professor Jiwun Yoon shared about the possibilities of AI in shaping the future of university sport

With the development of sports and especially students in mind, utilizing AI can accelerate the growth of university sport in Asia.

Other speakers during the session include Dr Zhou Liangjun and Dr Gulbaram Kulakmetova, who shared about the current state of the sports industry as well as their aspirations for AUSF.

Dr Zhou Liangjun shares about the current trends in the sports industry

In his speech, Dr Zhou provided abundant data on the development of the sports industry in the Greater Bay Area in China to illustrate the current state of the sports industry in the region.

Dr Gulbaram Kulakmetova answering a question posed by the attendees during the panel discussion

For Dr Gulbaram, she believes “the time has come for Asia to rise again, and we will rise.” Dr Gulbaram proposed a 2030 target for AUSF for a unified system, stronger universities and a visible brand that will help university sport prosper.

Besides the six presentations, the dialogue was supplemented with panel discussions led by the speakers, joined by FISU Secretary General / CEO Matthias Remund for the morning session, and FISU President Leonz Eder in the afternoon session.

The AUSF Secretariat was presented with tokens of appreciation in honour of their dedicated service.

Another highlight of the dialogue was the presentation of tokens of appreciation for the AUSF Secretariat. Seen as the unsung heroes, the members of the secretariat were honoured in recognition of their dedication in ensuring that events run smoothly.

To conclude the productive dialogue sessions, FISU President Leonz Eder reminded members that in making decisions for their respective federations, it is vital to consider “the needs of our student-athletes” as the student-athletes are the main stakeholders of the partnership between FISU and AUSF.