About

Sport Climbing

Sport climbing is a fairly new sport on the World University Championships programme. This spectacular sport with a variety of disciplines is very popular among students.

Past World University Championships:

• 1^st WUC Sport Climbing: Shanghai (CHN), 2016 (12-16 Oct)
• 2^nd WUC Sport Climbing: Bratislava (SVK), 2018 (20-23 Jun)
• 3^rd WUC Sport Climbing: Innsbruck (AUT), 2022 (14-17 Jun)

Upcoming World University Championship

• 4^th WUC Sport Climbing: Koper (SLO), 2024 (9-12 Sept)

Competition venue

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Since its founding in 1949, the International University Sports Federation is the key driver to expand the role and reach of university sport around the world. FISU believes that sports values and sports practice work in perfect synchronicity within one’s university studies.

FISU offers opportunity and inspiration to students around the world to play sport. The health, wellbeing, and experiences that students gain from sport help them become active members in our global society.

In keeping with this adage, FISU organises world-class sports and educational events, all with the mission of providing university students with the opportunities to connect and exchange with students from around the world, in a collaborative and competitive environment. To achieve this, FISU has identified goals and a path to achieve them with the FISU Global Strategy 2027. This ten-year tactical game plan can be found here.

All FISU Member Associations are sorted by continent and in alphabetical order, using the official IOC country code.

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Welcome to Koper!

Koper, the largest town of Slovenian Istria and the home of about one half of the population of the Municipality of Koper, is also the only Slovenian port; in addition, it also hosts one of the Slovenian universities.

Koper is considered one of the oldest Slovenian cities, with a rich history dating back to the Middle Bronze Age. The town is surrounded by a diverse green countryside that is home to numerous natural sights.

The rural countryside is also intertwined with many cultural and historical sights, mysterious churches, fortresses and castles.

Sights and Culture in Koper

The remnants of the Venetian culture, which has been present in the area for five hundred years when the area was also experiencing an economic and cultural boom, preserved the city’s best and most of all.

Explore what the museums, galleries and other cultural facilities have to offer; take a sneak peek into the library and visit the theatre, castle ruins and what’s left of old farmhouses, or take a tour of the palaces in Koper

Sport in Koper

The city and the countryside alike offer many opportunities for active leisure activities. Koper is an active tourist destination that has many interesting cycling and walking trails, natural climbing walls, an excellent local gastronomic offer, unforgettable experiences and numerous events.

Due to the favourable climate and excellent infrastructure, you can be active in Koper all year round.

The Karst edge is the central Slovenian climbing area

Due to its favourable climate, climbing is possible in almost all seasons. The central climbing areas of the Karst edge are Osp (267 climbing routes graded 3 to 9a), Črni Kal (287 climbing routes graded 3 to 8a) and Mišja peč (203 climbing routes graded 4a/a+ to 9a+/b). Koper also offers the largest bouldering gym in Slovenia, Plezalni center Koper.

Gastronomy

The rich Istrian soil and the Mediterranean climate provide a good home for sunny types of grapes, full fruit and vegetable flavours, excellent olive oil and other delicious dishes taking the name of these places all over the world.

Olive oil and noble wines from the sunny hills of the green destination of Koper are well-renowned even amongst the strictest international judges, and are constantly awarded the most important world prizes.

Delicious local dishes such as “fuži” with truffles, “fritaja” with wild asparagus, prosciutto, “bobiči” and other genuine Istrian dishes can be savoured in numerous restaurants, tourist farms, and local inns of the green countryside of Koper.

Data source: visitkoper.si

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University of Primorska

The University of Primorska (UP) is a medium-sized, internationally engaged Slovenian university with 5,744 students, of whom 1,296 (or 22.56 %) come from 47 foreign countries. It has 782 staff – 516 researchers and higher education teachers, of whom 72 (or 14.09%) come from abroad. The UP hosts more than 270 international researchers every year and enrols 166 PhD students. The University of Primorska is comprised of nine members – beside the research institute, student residences, the university library, there are six faculties: Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Management, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Tourism Studies – Turistica and Faculty of Health Sciences.

In 2022, the UP became part of Transform4Europe (T4EU), a European university alliance of over 150,000 students and 10,000 researchers. It became a full member in 2023. In addition to the UP, 9 other universities and one associate member form the T4EU alliance. This year UP hosted T4EU week, together with University of Trieste (another member), bringing together around 300 employees and students from all universities.

Moreover, the UP is one of the 38 members of the European Network of Innovative Higher Education Institutions (ENIHEI), an initiative proposed by Mariya Gabriel, (at the time) European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth. ENIHEI is a forum to exchange knowledge, ideas and experience on how higher education can promote an innovation culture, and enable creativity, entrepreneurship and talent.

The UP in 2024/2025 it will carry out 89 study programmes in all three cycles, 19 of which are also held in the English language. In addition, the UP organises from 5 to 10 international summer schools on various topics every year as well as over 10 international scientific conferences, including at least a major conference, as it has done for several consecutive years, with more than 1,000 participants and under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Slovenia.

In partnership with the Škocjan Caves Regional Park, the UP launched the UNESCO Chair of Interpretation and Education for Enhancing Integrated Heritage Approaches, and within the Teaming instrument, coordinated the project and successfully established the internationally renowned research institute InnoRenew CoE. UP also established NEBAP Hub, a renowned centre for sustainable built environments, that has successfully acquired a major project, forming “New European Bauhaus Academy Alliance – NEBA Alliance”- the alliance, chaired by the UP as the lead partner.

Internationalisation and project activities go hand in hand with all aspects of UP operations. Furthermore, the University has recently strengthened its role in the region, where the main priorities are science communication (through the activities of the Science Centre and science communication events), work with schoolchildren and teachers, the establishment of an Alumni Office (in frame of GDI UP – Green, Digital and Inclusive UP project), innovation and technology transfer, student projects carried out in collaboration with companies, the promotion of responsible science and a wide range of additional training courses aimed at different target groups.

The UP also ensures the well-being of its community: it has established several student facilities (library access 24/7, reading rooms, study spaces), a university outpatient clinic, a centre for holistic psychological support and a career centre. It also advocates a healthy lifestyle among its employees and students with SportUP, organizing sports activites, and organises events focused on the reception, orientation and integration of students and staff.