In my opinion, the University of Connecticut, where I taught, devotes excessive emphasis to sport.  Basketball is a university obsession because this school´s teams have frequently won national championships.  I live in a small State, whose citizens devote many energies (and many funds) to supporting the athletic teams of this university.  Instead of raising adjunct faculty salaries, this university wants to erect a multimillion dollar hockey rink in the middle of the university town in Storrs, Connecticut (USA).

The sports carnival is an annual affair, when Matriculation colleges meet to 'fight it out' in friendly contests.  Several games and track events are contested, one of these is Sepak Takraw, a favorite game that uses a rattan ball.

In my opinion, the University of Connecticut, where I taught, devotes excessive emphasis to sport.  Basketball is a university obsession because this school´s teams have frequently won national championships.  I live in a small State, whose citizens devote many energies (and many funds) to supporting the athletic teams of this university.  Instead of raising adjunct faculty salaries, this university wants to erect a multimillion dollar hockey rink in the middle of the university town in Storrs, Connecticut (USA).

None!

Correspondence university!

Period!

En nuestra Universidad, los estudiantes tienen varias opciones deportivas y culturales para vincularse durante el tiempo que desee. El fútbol sala es una opción muy atractiva para hombres y mujeres. A nivel cultural, las clases de Teatro con énfasis en Oratoria han sido exitosas, ya que como profesionales en determinado momento se debe exponer ante un publico y la mayoría de las personas sufren de pánico escénico.  

The Forest Research Institute (Deemed) University, Dehradun, India  pays due attention to promote and nurture sports among students. The university holds exclusive sessions for sports and other physical fitness exercises. A two-week annual sports meet is organized every year including various indoor/outdoor sports and athletics tournaments. Students are grouped under altogether four houses (teams) and there is contest among houses for each and every games and sports. In addition the university teams also take part in local, regional as well as sports tournaments.

Dear Miranda,

I work at an agricultural faculty. Students coming here have not fallen in love with culture. I used to ask them about their reading customs but generally they do not read. They do not know belles-lettres, classical music, they do not play musical instruments. I have met a student who wrote verses, another girl singed in a chorus outside of the faculty. Earlier there was a well known (folk) dancing group which won several prices. This group was supported by the faculty. There are some sport facilities even a sports hall. I have run each day for about 15 years but the number of runners has not been high.

As I see some Universities consider sport too much and others too little or nothing. In my Universty the last option is predominant. The only sport of students (and also teachers) is represented by some personal initiative to organize some foot-ball (soccer) match. Occasionally, of course ... In my country sport does not merry with study: an old and at the same time actual point of view. From my side, I go and come back from my Hospital cycling, but my students prefer cars.

The mission of the Deanship of Students in our university coordinates student services and orchestrates the Meta curricular life of the campus. The operation is founded on a broad-based system focusing on the intellectual, occupational, emotional, spiritual, physical, and cultural growth and nurturing of students.

We have sports Gym, Olympic stadium, and a large entertainment center.

Dear Miranda,

Like Mahfouz says, at every Jordanian University there is a Deanship of Student Affairs to cater for the physical, spiritual and intellectual needs of students. 

Hi Miranda;

I am working in an Organization called Indian Council of Agricultural Research, it has a very vast network of research institutes on various diversified fields of agriculture (>180 Nos.) four are associated with students and having Deemed University Status. Fortunately one of them called IARI at Delhi, I have privilege to work as Principal Scientist and Faculty in Water Science Technology. Not only for students but even for scientists of all institutes sports festivals are being organized. In mostly more than 18 sports are being included. Country being divided in fore zones and first competition is organized on zonal basis and than zonal meet organized to finalize the results.

Unfortunately not  much importance is being given to nurture cultural talent in these institutions.

Thanks

Dear friends, thanks for sharing your views, for appreciating the question.  @Tobias, now I know that you're at a correspondence varsity.  @Yogesh, I always guessed that your FRI is a universlty.  Your sports are well organized and I'm sure the participants are all good sportsmen.

Dear Andras, thanks for describing the poets, singers and dancers at your varsity.  It may be due to our warm weather that we have more opportunity for societies and sports/ field games.  Thanks.

Dear @Enzo, I agree with you that: 'some Universities consider sport too much and others too little or nothing. In my Universty the last option is predominant'.  Keep up your cycling to keep fit, but always exercise caution.  Our roads here are so dangerous.

Dear Prof Mahfuz, and Marwan, thanks for 'focusing on the intellectual, occupational, emotional, spiritual, physical, and cultural growth and nurturing of students.'  And the nic pic that you added, Prof Mahfuz :)

Thanks dear @Barbara.  I like this: 'physical fitness alone is not sufficient for the perfection of man, when coupled with her beauty goes moral and spiritual nobility. Thus already seen a close relationship with the physical education moral education, with a large concern for the education of character....The major role is ascribed to musical education. Music education were also associated with poetic literary education.'  I agree, thanks.  In my previous school, my students were talented members of our brassband.

Friends, I have been busy invigilating exams this whole week, but I try to get into RG too.  Next week is our holidays and our annual co-curriculum carnival (KAKOM).  It features sports and culture events.

Dear @Sarwan, thanks for the info you added: 'Not only for students but even for scientists of all institutes sports festivals are being organized. In mostly more than 18 sports are being included. Country being divided in fore zones and first competition is organized on zonal basis and than zonal meet organized to finalize the results.'

You can see that Yogesh and Enzo also agree, not just me!  Dear friends, meet the mascot from the paddy state of Kedah in the north of my country.  Each of our colleges has a mascot.  I love the mascots :)  What can you guess to be the mascot of my college, KMS?

Sports and competition have long been an integral part of American popular culture, intersecting with issues of race, class, citizenship and gender as well as national identity, global competition, and border crossings with competitive values and tactics carry over from the sports arena to reality television shows, college admissions, FaceBook friends, and national and global policies.

http://college.artsandsciences.virginia.edu/COLA

Across the world, Sports and cultural events are very much cherished by students

@Remi, Umachandran and friends, in our country, co-curriculum activities (sports, games, societies) contribute 10% of eligibility for entrance into varsities from 2006.  It's true that our students enjoy the sports and cultural activities during KAKOM.  Even the lecturers enjoy it greatly although it means that some give up about 1 week of 5 of holidays in a year.

http://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2006/04/university-entry-criteria-co.html

A few cultural dances during the Carnival.  As Umachandran said, our students enjoy all this.  It's very important to knit inter ethnic friendships in my country.  Thanks.

Dear All,

I remember I visited about 10 year ago the Scottish Agricultural College at Aberdeen (Craibstone estate) where the national sport is the golf. The college had several very fine golf and mini-golf opportunities. Everybody (students and teachers) had the right to ask the receptionist for golf clubs and balls to play golf in his/her spare time. We Hungarians played a lot and and we were able to beat the native Scottish team.

Now I visited SAC (now SRUC) and found the following opportunities: “superb sports facilities, including golf courses and opportunities for game shooting and sea fishing”.

http://www.sruc.ac.uk/info/120489/sporting_facilities/1091/aberdeen_sports_facilities

Dear All,

Today I have asked some of my students (15) on sports and cultural opportunities at our faculty. They considered that the folk dancing group existed but they could not mention anything else. I asked them about their reading customs. One students said, he read The lord of the rings by Tolkien and some works of Konrad Lorenz, of whom he thought he would be a philosopher.

In fact, our university has a long history of sporting excellence. Our Basketball team, has won many tournaments, in Jorda, Arab countries, and Asha.

Our Lyceum was named twice the institution of the year, thanks to our program of student's development, including  my conception "City of Masters". There are a lot of opportunities for every student's self-improvement. First of all thanks to our masters-teachers and facilities we can create the appropriate -micro and macro-environment There are a lot of workshops of dancing, playing the instruments, dramatizing, singing, sports sections.The students participate in all festive events, sports competitions of all levels. Thus it's famous for girl's mini-football.The photos of our talented persons decorate the walls of our Lyceum.  Especially interesting  is "The lesson with the champion"- it's a meeting with famous sportsmen, with whom students can play football or basketball, or fight with the greatest sportsmen.I'm proud that I teach a lot of young - but already having the highest - international or regional results in sports- students.As a rule, they are very hard-working and polite. 

An- Najah N. University tries to nurture sports and/ or cultural talent by 4 ways: i) It established a splendid sports complex for the the Physical Education Department in 2008. ii) For gifted students, the University has established the Faculty of Honors in 2005 in which a talented student,who has achieved 87% of the total scores in his/her major, will study extra 15 credit hours free of charge & with no grades. iii) Each faculty is encouraged to form a sport team. iv) Any specially talented student, in drawing or painting or poetry or music...etc., is given the opportunity to display his/her talent through an exhibition or a fair at the University level. 

Dear @Andras, thanks.  You say: 'We Hungarians played a lot and and we were able to beat the native Scottish team.  Now I visited SAC (now SRUC) and found the following opportunities: “superb sports facilities, including golf courses and opportunities for game shooting and sea fishing”.'  Do you mean to say that there are more diverse sports and games in SRUC now?  The interest has increased?

Thanks, Andras, for giving concern about your students' cultural activities.  "Today I have asked some of my students (15) on sports and cultural opportunities at our faculty. They considered that the folk dancing group existed but they could not mention anything else. I asked them about their reading customs. "  We have to because 'education is not just preparing for life, education is life itself'.

Thanks Prof Mahfuz, thanks for the info about your basketball team in Jordan's Applied Science Private University :)  What are activities for cultural development?

Congrats dear Irina.  Your Lyceum is great, taking drama and music seriously, and placing importance on that besides only academic development.  That's the way to go; just ask Dr Max Chartrand :)  When music and drama and literature are included, students will excel in maths and science.  But when music and arts are withdrawn, performance in science dwindles as well.

Dear Remi, thanks for your post.  Here we are all learning from one another, although our time zones are entirely different, we continue to post on the RG cloud, and still manage to communicate well.  I believe research has shown that the curriculum that includes music and arts (literature etc) for science students actually improves students' performance in science.  

Thanks dear Dr Nizar for describing the 4 ways that your university is nurturing sports and culture.  It's somewhat similar here.  Students who get all As will get a maximum of 3.6 out of 4.0; and they need the .4 from co-curriculum.  Many students who apply for the popular courses like medicine and dentistry need 4.0 to get a place in public universities, and a scholarship.  It's very competitive, so my students have to be very focused, and work extremely hard.  It was the same when I was a student, we have little time for unnecessary activities and commitments!

Thanks Vandana, it's good to know that in your university, 'such talents are nurtured by organizing Youth Festivals where all type of competitions (co-curricular and extra co curricular activities )are held in competitive spirit. .Folk songs ,folk dance,playing musical instruments, one act play are main events of this festivals.'  Perhaps it's GOOD CLEAN FUN that young people can enjoy healthily, good for body and soul!

Dear @Remi Cornwall, please don't be too optimistic.  You are saying: 'Wonderful thread. So lovely to hear the thoughts of many around the world about the pleasant, well rounded and balanced young people turned out by our academies. There's so much ability and inspiring leaders of the future to look to.'  

Do you know why I'm cautioning you? Because we can only do our very best, but the young people aren't always listening to the voice of teachers.  Here, they listen also to their peers who encourage them to smoke, drink and other vices!  That's why I work hard.  (Just for your info, drug pushing here in this place gets the death sentence.)

Dear @Remi, you have raised many valid and interesting points, thanks.  I agree with most of your points.  I like these:

'Lack of leadership skills that many young graduates have in dealing with skilled and unskilled workers, since they lack the people skills.  (Here, they also lack communication skills.)

The most effective leaders have the "common touch" but have also the dignity of culture and intellectualism. I

Respect for the arts also engenders respect for different opinions, creeds, lifestyle choices. In short, it makes us more tolerant of others.

I learnt in adult life that the world is not an easy equation. It is wonderfully diverse, more diverse than I could imagine. This diversity makes it interesting, perplexing but fascinating. I learnt this by understanding (only just though) art.'

Art, music, literature must never be removed from a curriculum.  Thanks very much. ( I will be very busy with my work and research and Carnival, but I think my friends will understand.)

The importance that a country or society places on a particular culture and sport can have a striking influence on any success achieved. Promoting and nurturing sports and cultural activities in schools allows students to get involved in the sports at a very young age, and to continue playing right through adolescence into adulthood. It is said “healthy mind dwells in a healthy body”. As such, sports and cultural activities are indispensable of academia for overall developments of the students.

Thanks @Yogesh.  Here, in our schools and colleges, we put into practice what you say: 'Promoting and nurturing sports and cultural activities in schools allows students to get involved in the sports at a very young age, and to continue playing right through adolescence into adulthood. It is said “healthy mind dwells in a healthy body”. As such, sports and cultural activities are indispensable of academia for overall developments of the students.'  But I found that in some places, it isn't so.  Perhaps they have certain impediments.  But I wonder why.

Dear Prof Kamal, thanks for info about Hashemite University: 'we have a lot of extra curricular activities including sports and cultural events. The sport teams are excellent with many achievements'.  I'm really amazed that with your commitments you still put in so many hours on RG supporting younger people like us.  I thank you on behalf of your followers.

Dear Remi, you raise many good points.  But this one catches my attention: 'Most people with a love of the arts tend to be more inclusive, less competitive (just for the sake of getting one up on their fellow beings) but no less driven. Sport and the worship of it can infantalise people or bring out base and tribal instincts. Then again the art cognoscenti can be incredibly snobbish with an inconsistent hypocritical manner; why is Handel looked down upon compared to Bach.  How true!  No perfection among us humans.  But we do our best, thanks.  (I will get back when my commitments allow.)

My research center do not organize or support extra activities from sport and cultural events. I think that in my country most universities do not give particular attention to extra curricular activities, may be few of them pay attention to these activities but with no significant interests. Before the ninetieth of past century, sport and cultural activities were encouraged by the educative system. Now we quasi import national teams ' football team is a real case'.

National Level competition

“College Team Competitions”: All college teams are invited to showcase their talent and compete against other teams. Any type of dance genre is allowed. Duration: 8 minutes maximum.

http://thefestivalofindia.org/welcomeculturalprogram.asp

Dear Fairouz, it's sad that in your 'country most universities do not give particular attention to extra curricular activities, may be few of them pay attention to these activities but with no significant interests'.  I think that efforts to nurture sports and culture in schools need to be continued in the varsities.  And when students have completed a Bachelor degree, at around 22 or 23, they will be physically fit and productive contributors of the national economy.

Dear @Umachandran, that is a very good link, just nice for this thread.  The 8 minute duration is sufficient, and allows a large number of teams to participate.  (Sorry friends, I'm busy with my writing.  But I will be responsible to chime in.  Thanks.)

Dear All,

Dear Miranda,

I have continued to ask students. Earlier there was a free riding opportunity for students at the faculty. Now, students have to pay 35000 Ft (about 115 Euro) a month for riding. Most of them cannot afford it.

Thanks Andras for taking this matter seriously.  There must be some other sports that aren't so expensive, do you agree?  Here, only the very rich can own horses.  I know of the King of Brunei who has many horses, and a previous Prime minister of my country who owns horses.  Besides riding, skiing, what other sports activities are carried out in autumn and winter?  (I manage to chime in, despite being busy. Thanks for your answer.)

Dear friends, our Sports Carnival starts today.  The contingent took off in 3 buses this morning to Penang.  It's a 6 hour journey.  But I'm stuck at college to improve my paper.  It's wonderful to have some caring friends, keeping me posted on news.

Applied Science University in Jordan has an excellent basketball team. The team has been ranked by a number of wins Jordanian, Arabian, and Asian tournaments.

Thanks for the info, dear Prof Mahfuz.  Just as Prof Kamal said earlier, you universities in Jordan seem to be well equipped and concerned for advancing sports among the students.  This is excellent!

Here is the first trophy won for our college; in Golf.  This man is Mr. Salleh, my deputy director.  Congratulations!

Just to reply very short here...( tied up with business matters these days ...)

as of my knowledge Universities in Austria naturally do have "Institute(s) of sports science" etc..  Affiliated to them also students' organisations doing / performing sports and having sports' events. Sports among students and universitarian institutions is not comparable to e. g. US (colleges, universities, etc)  or other countries' empathic & for me events and festivals by universitarian sports as friends and colleagues in this thread report about.  As perhaps with other European countries we are more to (which is called "Fussball" which could be translated from German easily as "football", but is NOT the right term since for English means a different kind of sports, guessing that "rugby"(US) will be the target). Yes, in the last 10-15 years we see also some teams playing football / Am.Rugby in Austria too. Golf, Tennis and other sports (if not as school subject) is practised more/less privately. Naturally there is (private, sponsored) hosting of marathon and other running events (business run), mountain bike races, and, and , and last but not least: skiing. (season for it not only coming, but was started with races of our National skiing team some week ago...!)... So unfortunately I cannot report about enthusiastic and colorful sports events. Best regards, Wolfgang 

Thanks Wolfgang for telling us about your sports in Austria.  Here, we have no winter, and no snow sports; but I can be on the track 365 days (if I can just make the time).  We usually use Football for soccer, and retain the word Rugby, but they are played on the same field; the 'goalbox' for soccer is a movable one. (I got this image from my friend, early this morning; football quarter finals in Penang, but I'm at college.)

India has now gone in sports mode, there is more of commercialization and motivation to games like

The recent performance of Indian contingent in Olympics, Asian Games and Common wealth are like looking progressive, which were earlier on dream state.

http://www.starsports.com/football/leagues/competitionid=100586/matchvideos/index.html

Thanks @Umachandran.  I have many good Indian friends and students who are good at sports.  When I was a kid, I admired M Rajamani who was an athlete.  Her sports career was stopped when she was hit by lightning.  She survived but couldn't perform as before.  But she's a great inspiration to me.