INGENIUM supported bursary recipients for Global Inclusion at ISAPA2025: Empowering Equity Through Education
The 2025 INGENIUM supported bursary recipients for Global Inclusion at ISAPA2025: Empowering Equity Through Education
In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the European Green Deal, the ISAPA2025 ( International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity) Organising Committee at Munster Technological University (MTU) Kerry Campus, in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair team, proudly launched the INGENIUM Supported Bursary for Applicants from Low and Middle-Income Countries and those in need of financial support.
This unique support mechanism forms part of the INGENIUM University Alliance’s commitment to reducing global inequalities, enhancing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), and strengthening global academic partnerships across disciplines, borders, and economic contexts, ISAPA 2025 combines five events which all delegates can attend.
1. The International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity (ISAPA) 2025
2. International Symposium on Physical Activity and Visual Impairment or Deafblindness
3. Mental Health Summit: Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Digital: Shifting the Dial for Better Outcomes
4. UNESCO – ISAPA International Consultation: Policy Change for Disability Inclusion in Sport: Paris 2024 Call to Action Follow-Up
5. Disability Sport Trade Exhibition
About the Bursary
The INGENIUM Supported Bursary was established to ensure that promising voices from all corners of the globe—especially from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged regions—have the opportunity to share, learn, and lead at ISAPA2025, hosted in Munster Technological University (MTU) Kerry, Ireland from June 16–20, 2025 under UNESCO Patronage.
This bursary aligns closely with the Global Partnership Agenda of the INGENIUM Work Package 7, prioritizing:
• Inclusive strategies for global partnerships
• Shared sustainability vision and SDG alignment
• Support for scalable education infrastructure in LMICs.
It also echoes the Alliance’s ten-fold commitment to ESD 2030, particularly in advancing access for those furthest behind first.
Spotlight on Recipients: Voices from Across the Globe
The 2025 INGENIUM bursary recipients represent an inspiring range of backgrounds, geographies, and academic levels. Here are just a few:
• Sarvin Salar (Iran) – Researcher at the University of Guilan, working on inclusive sport education.
• Roselyne Ajwang Odiango (Kenya) – Researcher at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, committed to increasing disability sport participation in East Africa.
• Pelin Aksen (Turkey) – Lecturer at Kırıkkale University’s Faculty of Sport Sciences, integrating adapted sport into higher education curriculum.
• Li Qingqing (China) – Student at Southwest University, exploring inclusive youth sport development.
• Nima Gyeltshen (Bhutan) – Youth Sports Planner at the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, advancing inclusive policy initiatives.
These and many others—from Brazil to Uganda, Taiwan to Kenya, and New Zealand to Malawi—are examples of how global diversity enriches the conversation on adapted physical activity and disability inclusion.
A European University Alliance Driving Change
This bursary program is supported through the INGENIUM European University Alliance, co-funded by the European Commission and coordinated by the University of Oviedo, with key contributions from:
• MTU (Ireland) – Coordinating institution for ISAPA2025 and the UNESCO Chair team.
• University of Skövde (Sweden) – Lead partner on sustainability initiatives.
As highlighted in the INGENIUM Sustainability Deliverable 7.1, global collaboration is key to tackling climate change, educational inequality, and social exclusion.
Building a More Equitable Future
By supporting these scholars, lecturers, and students, the MTU ISAPA2025 INGENIUM Bursary:
• Champions SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.
• Promotes inclusive academic exchange and culturally rich learning environments.
• Embodies the spirit of UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development 2030 roadmap.
Join the Movement
We invite you to follow the journeys of these changemakers and celebrate their contributions at www.isapa2025.com.
Their presence at ISAPA2025 is more than symbolic—it is transformational. Together, we are not only shifting conversations on disability and sport but also redefining who gets to lead those conversations on a global stage.
“Sustainable development is a journey, not a destination.” – INGENIUM SDG/EGD Agenda
