The GUAI are back for the 2023 edition in Lille!
This year, the major UAI competitions took place from May 18 to 20 in Lille and Seclin. This competition brings together the eight Arts et Métiers campuses Arts et Métiers several days of Olympic-style events and attracts more than 1,000 athletes!
For 49 years, the Grandes UAI (Union Athlétiques Inter-Gadz’Arts) have been held during Ascension weekend at one of the eight Arts et Métiers campuses. Last year, they took place in Angers, and in 2023, students at the Lille campus hosted the event. Let's take a look back at this major sporting event.
Engineering students from all over France competed in more than 20 disciplines: athletics, soccer, handball, basketball, volleyball, the traditional cheerleading show, etc.
On the podium this year, the Bordeaux-Talence campus came in first place, followed by the Lille campus in second and the Metz campus in third. They were followed by the Cluny, Aix-en-Provence, Châlons-en-Champagne, Angers, and Paris campuses. It is worth noting that the medals and trophies were made by the students themselves, with the help of their teachers, in various workshops on the Lille campus.
Beyond the sporting competition itself, there is a whole organization to put in place. The Lille students therefore began preparing for the event several months ago: accommodation, travel, meals for participants, etc., everything is their responsibility! They are supported by Arts et Métiers , Europe's leading alumni network with 34,000 members. The alumni have contributed their expertise, advice, and financial support to make the event accessible to everyone.
"Being president of the Grandes UAI is a real challenge, a personal investment like nothing I've ever experienced before, and a professionalizing experience like no other. First of all, I learned the importance of getting to know your team in order to work together effectively, of following through on a project, sometimes with difficulties, without ever giving up, but also of building relationships of trust with the various service providers and partners involved in the event. In short, it is a unique opportunity to manage a large-scale project and a wonderful human adventure! Romain Leblond, president of the 2023 edition.
Social gatherings are also organized at the end of the day after the games to discuss the shared traditions of the school and student life.
The highlight of the show isthe Gadzarts anthem, sung by students from all campuses, a song that marks their attachment to the history and life of the institution.
A big congratulations to the entire organizing team of the Grandes UAI 2023 (Romain Leblond, president of the Grandes UAI 2023, Nicolas Hardy, communications manager, and many others!) and to all the other students in Lille for making the event such a success!
See you next year on the Bordeaux-Talence campus for the title rematch!
