GSUN Welcomes New Congress Members
GSUN is very pleased to welcome GSUN Congress Members! Between now and the Summit, we will introduce some Congress members each month. Congress membership allows institutions and any of their team members to connect, collaborate and contribute to the Global Sport University Network. If you are interested in applying for Congress Membership, please do so here.
We are delighted to welcome these institutions to GSUN Congress!
Penn State (University Park) consistently ranks as a top-tier public research university in the United States and globally. In recent major college rankings, it places highly across national academics, global research impact, and specific specialty programs. Penn State is globally recognized for its programs in sports science. According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject, the university consistently ranks as one of the very best institutions in the world for sports-related subjects, frequently landing in the top 30 globally and among the top 10 in the United States. Penn State University Park comprises 14 distinct academic colleges, plus the Graduate School and the Division of Undergraduate Studies. The Department of Kinesiology's graduate program has consistently been recognized as a top-3 or top-10 program by the National Academy of Kinesiology for the past 15 years. Penn State is also home to the Center for the Study of Sports in Society, a cross-university disciplinary research center focused on the scholarship of sports studies. Sports interested faculty at Penn State represent many disciplines and are recognized internationally for their research and scholarly impact. Penn State will represent a great addition to our global network.
Established in 1974, Deakin is one of Australia’s most progressive and agile universities, leading in the innovative use of digital technologies and online learning, and blending this capability across its distinctive campus precincts in Melbourne, Geelong, Warrnambool, India and Indonesia. Deakin has achieved a balance of high-quality research with an education experience that is consistently rated as one of the best in the country. The University is committed to lifelong learning and graduate employment outcomes and is an international leader in sport education. It’s this passion and commitment to teaching, research and student success that has led the university to be recognised by local and international ranking bodies and our students.
Deakin’s School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences has been ranked the #1 school of sport science in the world for six years running by the ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments (2021–2026) and number no.11 in the world for sport-related subjects in the QS World University Rankings.
Deakin’s collaborations emphasise mutually beneficial partnerships and real-world impact in areas of high national priority, providing its students with access to a range of unique sport industry placements from a network of over 150 industry connections.
Griffith University is internationally recognised for excellence in sport, recently ranked in the Top 50 globally for sport-related subjects in the QS World University Rankings. This recognition reflects the University’s strength across key QS indicators including academic reputation, employer reputation, research impact and international engagement.
As Australia's leading high-performance athlete university since 2016 and now the exclusive Australian Olympic Pathway University, Griffith delivers integrated education, applied research and athlete-centred pathways that support performance excellence alongside academic success, from emerging athletes through to elite and professional levels. The success of Griffith athletes on the global stage is unquestionable, demonstrated consistently across multiple Olympic and Paralympic cycles.
Griffith is particularly distinguished for its global leadership in female performance research and gender equity in sport. Through pioneering research in female performance, sector influence and initiatives such as SAGE (Sport and Gender Equity), the University is shaping best practice in women’s high-performance sport, athlete health and wellbeing, leadership development and system reform.
These strengths are reinforced by world class facilities, practice-led research and strong partnerships with national and international sporting organisations.
Aligned with the mission and values of the Global Sport University Network (GSUN), Griffith University contributes meaningful global leadership in sport education and research, driving innovation, industry collaboration and impact across the international sport system.
Founded in 1952, Shanghai University of Sport (SUS) is China’s first institution of higher education dedicated to sports since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. As a university under the national “Double First-Class” initiative, it serves as a pivotal hub for sports education, research, and innovation in the country. Guided by its core educational philosophy, SUS has nurtured generations of sports professionals for society. Building on this foundation, SUS has developed a comprehensive and dynamic disciplinary framework centered on sport science, characterized by high-level interdisciplinary integration with science, medicine, literature, engineering, management, law, and the arts.
As a platform for international sports and cultural exchange, SUS has forged partnerships with more than 160 universities and organizations. It is home to the Institute of Olympic Studies and Research, officially accredited by the IOC Olympic Studies Centre, and maintains close ties with international organizations such as the International University Sports Federation and the Asian University Sports Federation. Additionally, SUS hosts the world’s first International Testing Agency Academic Centre. Looking ahead, SUS remains committed to its development orientation of prioritizing service and enhancing contribution. With a focus on elite sports, exercise and health promotion, the sports industry, and sports culture, SUS aims to make greater contributions to advancing sports development.
For more than a century, the University of Birmingham has been pursuing and sharing knowledge through outstanding teaching and world-leading research. Consistently ranked in the world top 10 in the QS sport subject rankings, the university was the first in the UK to offer a degree in sport and physical education in 1946. As a global top 100 university, its sport-related research, education and impact spans performance to participation, laboratory to field, character to community across all forms of sport, and physical activity. Strategic partnerships with Birmingham City Football Club, The Professional Golfers’ Association of GB&I, Warwickshire Country Cricket Club and Birmingham Royal Ballet, allows the university to translate its research into impact through its civic and global mission.
Professor Deborah Longworth, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education at the University of Birmingham, said: “As a top 10 global university for sport, we are delighted to be joining GSUN. We look forward to working alongside other leading international institutions to advance and shape education, research, and policy related to sport and health, to address some of the most complex societal challenges and support inclusive growth.”
The university’s School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences has multiple programmes at the cutting edge of sport and physical activity, spanning sports science, business, artificial intelligence, technology, media, rehabilitation and medicine. Applied learning is embedded in its programmes in partnership with professional and high-performance UoBSport teams.
Sport has been a central part of the university from its founding; this sporting tradition now sees students and alumni competing at Olympics and World Championships and is complemented by one of the strongest participation programmes in the UK. Through the university’s sport scholarship and performance support programmes student athletes flourish both in their competitive sport and academically.
Birmingham is recognised as a leading city for sport, having successfully hosted the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and set to host major events including the European Athletics Championships in 2026 and the Invictus Games in 2027. Home to world-class sporting venues such as Edgbaston Stadium and two professional soccer clubs, the city offers a vibrant and globally connected sporting ecosystem.
As a civic and anchor institution within this dynamic environment, the University of Birmingham warmly welcomes GSUN members to engage with its campus, partners and the wider city, working together to advance sport, health and education on a global stage.