Whether playing ball games in the park, skateboarding after school or cycling at the weekend, informal sport is an important part of how many children, young people and adults spend their leisure time. But what exactly does the term “informal sport” mean? What role does informal sport play in Germany? We would like to explore these and other questions at the discussion event “Informal Sport” on Thursday, 3 December 2026, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in room H101. We are pleased to welcome Dr. Christian Hübner, Sebastian Gies, Josefine Paul and Robin Schneegaß as our panellists and look forward to seeing many of you there!
As part of an Erasmus+ exchange, we had the pleasure of welcoming Prof. Dr. Serkan Taş, Res. Asst. Ece Ekici, and Ass. Prof. Dr. Ümit Yüzbaşioğlu from Toros University, Mersin. During their stay in early November 2026, they engaged in an intensive exchange with our team. They also held a LabTalk on the topic "Advancing Rehabilitation Research: Musculoskeletal Imaging, Biomechanics, and International Collaboration Opportunities".
To mark the 20th anniversary of Prof. Dr. Nils Neuber’s service at the University of Münster, a conference on physical education teacher education was held at the Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences (IfS) in early October. The Department of Education and Teaching in Sport presented its approach to experiential learning for discussion. Around 20 sport pedagogy scholars from Germany and Switzerland attended and engaged in intensive discussions about the concept over two days. The outcomes are to be documented in a volume of the Bildung und Sport book series.
At the invitation of the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Education, Prof. Dr. Nils Neuber delivered a keynote lecture atthe Day of School Sports entitled “Education Needs Movement – How to Make Learning at School More Engaging!”. Inhis lecture, he demonstrated how the interplay between education and physical activity can promote cognitive learning,health, democratic competencies, and enjoyment of school. Ultimately, this approach can help make schools moreenjoyable and dynamic places for all children and young people.
On 23 September 2026, two engaging presentations were delivered and discussed at this year’s Research Day of the Centre for Educational Research in Sport (CeBiS). Anaïs Bachmann (Department of Education and Teaching in Sport) gave a presentation entitled “The Body of the Physical Education Teacher as a Medium of Democratic Interaction”, while Stefan Schröder (Leuphana University Lüneburg) presented findings on the challenges and factors contributing to the successful development of school steering groups in the context of SPORT VERNETZT all-day schools.
Hannah Hüttemann, doctoral candidate at the Department of Sports and Exercise Psychology, was selected for the fifth cohort of the program „Durchstarten. Von der Promotion zur Professur“ by the Equal Opportunity Office of the University of Münster. The program supports female doctoral candidates on their path into academia over the course of two semesters and offers them the opportunity to explore the various perspectives and demands of an academic career at an early stage. In addition to topics such as career planning, presenting oneself in academic contexts, and balancing work and family life, the program provides opportunities to network with other female doctoral students beyond one’s own department.
On 28 September 2026, Angelika Julia Bensch successfully defended her doctoral thesis entitled ‘Gender-sensitive physical education and pupils’ gender competence – a qualitative interview study on constructions of difference in physical education’.
The examination board was chaired by the Dean of Studies, Prof. Heiko Wagner. The external examiners were Associate Professor Helga Leineweber (Research Group on Education and Culture in Sport) and Professor Bettina Rulofs (DSHS Cologne). The board was completed by Dr Sebastian Salomon (Research Group on Education and Teaching in Sport).
It is with profound sadness that we bid farewell to Prof. Dr. Bernd Strauß, who passed away on 27 September 2026. With his death, the Institute of Sport and Exercise Sciences has lost an outstanding scholar, university teacher, and academic leader who shaped our Institute for more than 28 years and made a significant contribution to the development of sport and exercise psychology far beyond Münster and Germany. We have also lost a dear friend, a scientific mentor, and a highly valued colleague.
