Global Network Co-Founded by UO Hosts First International Summit
Story by Ed Dorsch
Photos and videos from University Public Relations
Transatlantic Alliance
During the early planning stages of the 2022 World Athletics Championships — the first to be held in the United States and on a college campus — Schleck coordinated the University of Oregon’s efforts with World Athletics President Sir Sebastian Coe.
Coe, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the middle distance, was familiar with the University of Oregon, home to the legendary track and field team and Hayward Field, where Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman developed his revolutionary running shoe in a waffle iron, and where the first athletic school in the United States was founded.
But neither Schreck nor Coe thought they would have the time to do more than organize the world’s premier outdoor track and field championships.
As they planned the global celebration in July, they also discussed the interdisciplinary research and scholarship at the University of Oregon. Coe, president of Loughborough University, elaborated further on the British university’s excellence in sports studies.
The seeds for GSUN were first sown during a transatlantic conversation between Schreck and Dennis Galvan, dean and associate dean for global engagement, in 2021. They were on a virtual call discussing the University of Oregon’s new sport and wellness initiative, along with Michael Cain, then vice-chancellor at Loughborough University.
Schleck and Galván proposed a simple partnership: Kane introduced the concept of a global network that would bring together the world’s top universities in sports science.
“All over the world, sports bring people together,” Galván said. “It transcends ethnic, religious and political differences. Sports brings us together.”
Galvan said Loughborough has a global reputation for excellence in sports studies, and across the Atlantic, professors at the University of Oregon are pioneering new ways to combine sport and academics, partnering with companies in the heart of the US sporting goods industry.
After further discussion, the two universities agreed to cooperate.
But the hurdles got even higher when our new British friends headed across the ocean to Oregon.
“All over the world, sports brings people together. It transcends ethnic, religious and political differences. Sports brings us together.”
Dennis Galvan
Jump out of the blocks
A delegation from Loughborough University visited the campus in the days leading up to the World Athletics Championships in July 2022. The delegation toured Hayward Field, Autzen Stadium, Hatfield-Dowling Complex, Bowerman Sports Science Centre and the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact.
And they met with leading researchers from Oregon in a variety of fields, both at the University of Oregon and the top university for sports studies in the UK, who recognized the potential to put together a winning team.
University of Oregon Vice President Bob Guldberg and Robert DeArmond Executive Director of the Knight Campus Leona DeArmond already have scientific ties with Loughborough University and have offered to support faculty and student exchanges to foster new collaborations.
The global science broker also encouraged Loughborough to join the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, an international initiative to promote wellbeing and peak performance through scientific discovery and innovation.
Loughborough delegation tours UO facilities
The UO is a founding partner of the Wu Tsai Alliance, which was established in 2021 with a 10-year, $220 million gift from the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation. UO donors endowed an endowment that will support the University’s contributions to the alliance and create a continuing legacy of excellence in human performance research at the UO.
But the vision for GSUN extended beyond the two universities: on the final day of our visit to Loughborough, over lunch on the Knight Campus’s outdoor terrace, all the key players got in the zone.
Perhaps a breathtaking tour, a fascinating discussion, or even a panoramic view of the Willamette River and Autzen Stadium sparked their fanciful thoughts.
What if they could come together to solve a big global problem related to sports? And then the hard work began.
A team from the University of Oregon and Loughborough University built a new international research network, starting with a leadership council of top institutions from around the world. Leaders from nine countries and six continents developed the network’s guiding principles, objectives and structure. In September 2023, they celebrated the launch of GSUN.
Guldberg said the network is currently operating at full capacity.
“GSUN leverages critical sport knowledge and expertise to solve timely and complex human health challenges that can only be addressed collectively,” Guldberg said. “Our inaugural summit at the University of Oregon connected researchers, educators, institutions with industry, governing bodies, sports commissions, media and other key stakeholders, resulting in new collaborations that strengthen our shared commitment to maximizing the positive impact of sport.”
“GSUN leverages critical sports knowledge and expertise to solve timely and complex human health challenges that can only be addressed collectively.”
Bob Guldberg
