 FISU stands for Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire (International University Sports Federation) and was founded in 1949, but its origin goes back to the 1920's when Frenchman, Jean Petitjean, organised the first "World Student Games" in Paris in May 1923. The following year saw the birth of the International Confederation of Students (ICS), which held a congress in Warsaw. Several delegations took part and the movement was launched. From 1925 to 1939, many great sporting events were organised by the students and the ICS: in Prague (1925),  Rome (1927), then again in Paris, Darmstadt (1930), Turin (1933), Budapest (1935), Paris (1937), Monaco (1939). The Second World War interrupted these meetings, but when peace was restored, France re-launched the World University Games. This peace was a relative one, because the shadow of the Cold War soon divided university sport. In 1949, although the International Students Union (ISU) organised Games at which very few Western countries participated, the International University Sports Federation (FISU), born the previous year in Luxembourg, under the impetus of Dr. Paul Schleimer, was officially founded and organized its first International University Sports Weeks, bringing together the western delegations. These meetings took place notably in Merano (1949), Luxembourg (1951), Dortmund (1953) and San Sebastian (1955).
 In a new start in 1957, the French Federation organized a World University Sports Championship,which brought together students from Eastern and Western blocks. From this meeting came the desire to organize a universal event in which students from all over the world could participate.
In 1959, FISU and the ISU agreed to participate in the games organized in Turin, Italy by CUSI, the Italian Student Sport Association. That year was undoubtedly the one that left the biggest impression on our federation. In fact, the Italian organizers baptized these 1959 games with the name Universiade. They created the flag with a 'U' surrounded by stars, which was going to begin its journey around the world, and replaced the national anthems at the medal-awarding ceremonies by the Gaudeamus Igitur.
The Universiade in Turin was a success for the local Executive Committee and for the man who was going to change the future of the university sports movement: Dr. Primo NEBIOLO. At this Universiade, which brought together 43 different countries and 1,400 participants, many non-member federations asked to become members of FISU.
 However, even though university sports finally led a peaceful coexistence, the modus still needed to be established. In addition to the agreement that was made concerning national symbols (neither flags nor anthems) and on the program, FISU determined its philosophy in article 2 of its statutes by stipulating: 'FISU pursues its objects without consideration or discrimination of a political, denominational or racial nature'. From then on, FISU was to organize the Games on a worldwide level. |
