With more than 1,000 participants from the eight campuses of École Arts et Métiers, the Grandes UAI ( Union Athlétique Inter-Gadazarique) is a major sporting event in the lives of engineering students. Over three days (from Thursday, May 10 to Sunday, May 13, 2018), students will compete in around 20 different sports, including soccer, rugby, volleyball, climbing, archery, and tennis. This year's 44th edition of the Grandes UAI will be organized by engineering students from the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Châlons-en-Champagne.
A unifying event
For this 44th edition of the Grandes UAI, the engineering students had to organize a team of over 200 student volunteers and manage a budget of €150,000. Founded in 1892, this annual sports event brings together more than 1,000 students from the eight campuses of the École Arts et Métiers. Participants will compete in athletic events to propel their respective campuses to the top of the overall rankings. The goal is also to encourage students to push themselves while testing their sense of teamwork and respect for their opponents.
A large-scale project
Locally, organizing the Grandes UAI required putting together a team of 20 engineering students and more than 50 weeks of preparation. Supported by representatives of the SOCE (Alumni Association) and strongly backed by the administration of the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Châlons-en-Champagne, the Grandes UAI demonstrate the students’ ability to manage large-scale projects in fields other than engineering.
Over the course of the three-day competition, the student population of Châlons-en-Champagne will double. The 1,000 students will be housed at the Frison complex, and the sporting events will take place at various venues throughout the city, including Lauvaux Stadium, the Olympic Swimming Pool, the Verbeau Gymnasium, and Coubertin Stadium.
