Willibald Gebhardt Institute celebrates its 30th anniversary on May 5, 2022
On May 5, 1992, the Willibald Gebhardt Institute was founded as a registered, non-profit association in Essen. So on May 5, 2022, the WGI will celebrate its 30th anniversary. And the WGI’s statutory purpose – to promote the transfer of knowledge into sports practice – could hardly be more socially significant due to the current impact of the COVID 19 pandemic. “The tasks and challenges for upbringing, education and health of children and adolescents form a special focus in the work of the WGI. Integrating research, consultation and sustainable communication as well as the cooperation and networking with partners, clients and authorities at local, regional, national and international level are particularly important,” explains Dr. Heinz Aschebrock, President of the WGI.
For 25 years after its foundation, the WGI was based in Essen and was led by its founding president Prof. Dr. Roland Naul. This was followed by a move to Münster in 2017, where Roland Naul continued to be involved on the WGI board. Prof. Dr. Maike Tietjens was elected as the first president in Münster, and since 2020 Dr. Heinz Aschebrock has now been heading the executive board of the WWU Münster affiliated institute.
“Acknowledging the small 5th anniversary in Münster, we have been very successful since moving: With 20 scientific transfer projects and about 30 project partners, the WGI is doing very well internationally, nationally and regionally,” says President Heinz Aschebrock. Most recently, funding was approved for another EU-funded Erasmus+ project – EduPASS under the leadership of the University of Luxembourg – in which the WGI is involved as a project partner.
In the anniversary year, several events will also be hosted – for the first time again in presence after the Corona restrictions. For example, in its 30th anniversary year, the WGI will hold a full-day symposium with experts on the topic of the ancient tradition of the Olympic Games on July 11, 2022 at the Franz Hitze Haus in Münster. Information and registration for this event (in German) can be found here.
Then, on October 17-18, 2022, a “European Conference on Physical Education and School Sports” will take place in Münster. The WGI will organize this practice-relevant event around the topic of school sports in cooperation with the European Council of Physical Education and School Sports (CEREPS) as well as the WWU Münster in the premises of the “Münster University Continuing Education”.