CISM International Symposium 2025 - Summary News
ABU DHABI (UAE) — The CISM International Symposium 2025 took place in Abu Dhabi from 20 to 22 October under the gracious patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. Hosted for the first time in the United Arab Emirates and in the region, the symposium gathered senior military leaders, researchers, academics and experts from more than thirty countries around the central theme Physical Readiness and Resilience in the Armed Forces: Challenges and Foreseeing the Future. More than one hundred and thirty participants, including forty three speakers, met at the Dusit Thani Hotel to discuss how science and innovation can strengthen the physical readiness of modern armed forces.
The Opening Ceremony highlighted both the scientific ambition and the institutional prestige of the event. In recognition of their outstanding support to CISM, the Grand Officer Medal of Merit was conferred upon His Excellency Lieutenant General Staff Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defence, and His Excellency Khalifa Rashid Al Hameli, Director of the Office of His Highness the Minister of Defence. The ceremony was attended by CISM President Colonel Nilton Gomes Rolim Filho, CISM Secretary General Navy Captain Roberto Recchia, CISM Vice President for Asia Major General Rashid Al Dosari, members of the CISM Board of Directors and numerous heads of military delegations. Their presence underlined the strategic importance of the symposium for the CISM community and for the host nation.
The first day offered a rich scientific and symbolic program. After the formal opening and group photo, Professor Thierry Zintz launched the academic discussions with a keynote address on international sport governing bodies and soft diplomacy, presenting CISM as a key actor in a turbulent global context and as a platform for dialogue between armed forces. He was followed by Honorary CISM President General Gianni Gola, who looked back on thirty years of CISM World Military Games and their role in building both physical and moral resilience within the military. Throughout the afternoon, researchers such as Patrick Mullie, Ayesha Al Dhaheri, Guillermo Portugal, Martin Bugala, Wolfgang Rausch, Hannes Fichtenthal and Abdelrahman Amhed Abdulrahman Mohamed presented studies on topics including energy expenditure, sustainable nutrition, body composition, training cessation and performance under stress. The sessions, chaired by experts including Lieutenant Colonel Athinodoros Moschopoulos, Professor Lieutenant Colonel Annette Schmidt, Colonel Doctor Hashel Al Tunajji and Brigadier General Lotfi Bouguerra, combined scientific rigour with operational relevance, illustrating the interdisciplinary nature of the symposium. The day ended with lively exchanges among participants, reinforcing the sense of a global network devoted to military physical readiness.
The second day, held on 21 October, focused on the challenges of performance in extreme environments. Under the chairmanship of Professor Lieutenant Colonel Annette Schmidt and Lieutenant Commander Florentia Sfakianou, the day opened with a keynote by Professor Yannis Pitsiladis from Hong Kong Baptist University on Heat, Altitude and Hostility and the preparation of future soldiers for extreme conditions. One of the leading specialists in environmental physiology, Professor Pitsiladis highlighted the growing impact of climate and geography on operations and described how wearable technologies and evidence based training protocols can support adaptation and protection of soldiers in hostile settings. The second keynote, delivered by Associate Professor Jason Lee from the National University of Singapore, examined military performance in extreme temperatures. His lecture provided detailed insights into thermoregulation, hydration, heat stress management and the need to integrate physiological knowledge with equipment design and operational planning.
Throughout the day, more than ten research teams from countries including Brazil, Spain, Russia and the United Arab Emirates presented work on climate change and performance, wearable technologies, injury prevention and optimisation of training. Topics ranged from the use of infrared thermography for recovery monitoring to endurance development in different climatic zones and strategies to balance readiness with injury prevention. Once again, the discussions underlined the role of the symposium as a meeting point between research and practice, where scientific evidence is directly linked to the realities of military life.
The final day, on 22 October, brought the scientific program and the institutional dimension of the symposium together in a fitting conclusion. Although Professor Sergey Kryukov could not attend in person, his video presentation on sport specific injuries and rehabilitation enriched the overall theme by addressing the long term management of physical readiness. The last keynote was delivered by Associate Professor John Marson, who explored the growing role of biosensors and artificial intelligence in monitoring and enhancing military readiness. His talk showed how digital tools can help collect and interpret data on human performance, offering practical pathways for future integration in armed forces.
The scientific sessions of the final day featured more than a dozen presentations covering climate adaptation, training strategies and motivational approaches for young recruits. One of the most anticipated moments was the Commandant Raoul Mollet CISM Academy Sports Science Award Ceremony. Lieutenant Colonel Athinodoros Moschopoulos, President of the CISM Sport Science Commission, announced Associate Professor Arto Gråstén from the United Arab Emirates University as the laureate for his study Fostering Exercise Motivation in Youth Preparing for Military Service: Self Determination Theory Approach. The award, presented by CISM Secretary General Navy Captain Roberto Recchia, recognised the study’s innovative contribution to understanding youth motivation and its direct applicability for military preparation. The work, co presented by Gehan Handouk, Balazs Gabor and Jamal Alnuaimi, was widely praised by the audience.
The Closing Ceremony gathered a distinguished group of civil and military authorities, including CISM President Colonel Nilton Gomes Rolim Filho, CISM Vice President for Asia Major General Rashid Mahboob Al Dosari, CISM Secretary General Navy Captain Roberto Recchia, His Excellency Khalifa Rashid Juma Al Hamli, Major General Staff Obaid Ali Obaid Al Mansouri, President of the Local Organizing Committee, Brigadier General Staff Ayoob Butti Al Falasi, Chief of the UAE Delegation to CISM, members of the CISM Board of Directors and Chiefs of Delegation. In his closing remarks, Colonel Rolim expressed deep gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for their exceptional hospitality and organisation and emphasised that CISM is not only about sport but also about knowledge, unity and the pursuit of excellence. He noted that the work carried out in Abu Dhabi would serve as a foundation for building stronger and more resilient armed forces.
Brigadier General Ayoob Butti Al Falasi thanked all speakers, researchers and participants for their contributions and highlighted the successful cooperation between the UAE Armed Forces, universities and the CISM Academy. The ceremony also honoured the partners and sponsors that supported the event, including EDGE Group, Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement, Etihad Airways, Khalifa University, Palms Sports and the UAE Darts Federation. As a symbolic gesture of continuity, Colonel Nilton Gomes Rolim Filho handed the CISM Flag to Lieutenant General Paulo Afonso de Melo, Chief of the Brazilian Delegation, officially designating Brazil as the host of the next CISM International Symposium in 2027. Finally, His Excellency Lieutenant General Pilot Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi formally declared the CISM International Symposium 2025 closed.
With warm applause and sincere words of thanks, participants left Abu Dhabi with renewed inspiration, a stronger network of cooperation and a shared conviction that science and sport together can reinforce the readiness and resilience of armed forces worldwide. The three days of discussion and collaboration offered a vivid expression of the CISM motto Friendship through Sport and opened a new chapter for the scientific dimension of military sport on the road to Brazil in 2027.
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 | Heat, altitude, and resilience: CISM Symposium tackles the future of Military Performance |
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(Source: CISM Media & Communication Department and UAE Delegation to CISM)
