TEAM-EU-UA International Conference in Brussels, Belgium
On 28 August 2026, the International Conference “Promoting European Sports for Migrant and Refugee Children” was held in Brussels, Belgium, in a hybrid format within the framework of the project “Development of Team Spirit for the Implementation and Incorporation of EU Values in Ukraine” (TEAM-EU-UA), co-funded by the European Union.
The event brought together around 50 participants from 7 European countries, including researchers, university lecturers, teachers, coaches, sports professionals, representatives of educational institutions, sports federations and non-governmental organisations. As a result of the conference, 40 abstracts were included in the conference proceedings.
The conference aimed to bring together professionals and stakeholders to discuss the role of sport and physical activity in supporting migrant and refugee children. Particular attention was paid to European approaches to physical education, social integration, adaptation and psychosocial support for children, as well as to strengthening international cooperation and exchanging best practices.
Before the plenary session, the conference participants were welcomed by Jan Coolen, Vice President of the European School Sport Federation, who emphasised the importance of the event for strengthening international cooperation, promoting European values and supporting children through sport and physical activity.
During the conference, Iaroslav Galan and Oleksandr Tomenko delivered a plenary presentation entitled “Key Aspects of the Implementation of the TEAM-EU-UA Project as a Tool for Promoting European Values among Refugee Children”, focusing on key aspects of the project’s implementation and the use of its tools to promote European values among refugee children.
Another plenary presentation, “Inclusive Physical Education and Adaptive Sports in Educational Institutions: A Competency-Based and Universal Design Approach”, was delivered by Andrii Ohnystyi and Kateryna Ohnysta, who presented contemporary approaches to inclusive physical education and adaptive sports in educational institutions.
An important part of the conference was the presentations by representatives of all TEAM-EU-UA project partner organisations, who shared the results of their joint work, their experience and practical approaches developed throughout the implementation of the project.
The main thematic areas of the conference included:
- physical education of schoolchildren under martial law;
- children’s, youth and inclusive sports as a means of socialisation and adaptation;
- organisational and legal foundations for the development of physical education and sport in the context of European integration.
The conference was organised by the European School Sport Federation, NGO “YOUTH. SCIENCE. SPORTS. HEALTHY MOVEMENT OF UKRAINE”, Instytut Rozwoju Sportu i Edukacji (Poland), the Ukrainian Federation of School Sports, and Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A. S. Makarenko.
The conference served as an international platform for presenting research results, professional exchange, sharing contemporary European practices and strengthening partnerships to support children through education, sport and physical activity.
Conference participants will receive certificates from the European School Sport Federation.
The conference proceedings, comprising 40 abstracts, will subsequently be published on the official TEAM-EU-UA project website in the “Publications” section.
