On July 7, 2025, the 17th EAS Virtual Café titled “Dual Career Mentors and Mentees Getting Ready for the Next Academic Year” was successfully hosted in collaboration with the ERASMUS+Sport DCMENTOR project (101132309). The event brought together student-athletes, educators, mentors, and sports professionals to explore innovative tools and strategies to support dual careers in sport and education.
Prof. Alejandro Leiva Arcas (UCAM, Murcia, Spain), opened the session with welcoming remarks and emphasized the role of structured academic support systems in empowering student-athletes to succeed in both sport and education.
Dr. Kıvanç Semiz (RTEU, Türkiye) addressed the essential “21st Century Skills for Dual Career Athletes”, focusing on how digitalization and social media influence dual career development and educational engagement among athletes.
Gamze Aydın (Sports Tech Türkiye) delivered an insightful presentation titled “Mentors–Mentees Interaction: An Innovative Approach”, emphasizing the DCMENTOR project’s practical tools such as training modules, a self-assessment toolkit, and the Athlete Career Mentorship Platform. Her approach highlighted how well-designed mentorship structures and innovative resources can strengthen the mentor-mentee relationship, especially in preparing for upcoming academic challenges.
Kamil Kazım Sarı (Collective Innovation, Norway) introduced “The DCMENTOR Platform: Future Skills for Dual Career”, showcasing the integration of foresight methodologies and technological innovations like AI to support long-term planning and employability for athletes transitioning beyond sports.
The valuable input from the speakers stimulated vibrant discussions during the concluding segment of the café, with participants engaging in reflection, sharing national practices, and expressing interest in applying the DCMENTOR tools in their own institutions and programs.
The event also served as an opportunity to announce the upcoming EAS 2025 Annual Conference, which will take place from October 6–8, 2025 at the University of Latvia in Riga, hosted across two venues: the House of Nature at the university’s Academic Centre and the Rimi Olympic Centre. The conference will focus on “Dual Career of Elite Athletes: Integrating Sport and Education for Future Success”.
The 17th EAS Virtual Café once again demonstrated the power of collaboration and innovation in supporting dual career development across Europe. The exchange of ideas and resources continues to foster a strong community dedicated to empowering athlete-students for sustainable success.
