London 2012 blog

On Monday of this week, LOCOG hosted the 2007-08 students and staff from the 'FIFA Masters degree course'. This is a prestigious course in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport taught by three European universities: De Monfort University (Leicester, UK), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan, IT) and Neuchâtel University (Neuchâtel, CH).  It was created by FIFA in 2000 and is coordinated by CIES (International Center for Sports Studies). While the name 'FIFA' appears in the title, the course focuses on sports in general and not just football.

This year, 29 postgraduates from 22 different countries are studying on this full-time course, which covers all the major issues that sports organisations face today, from social and ethical issues to the more traditional legal and business matters.  

LOCOG’s connection to this course goes back to late 2005, shortly after bid win, when we were asked by Denis Oswald, Chairman of the IOC’s 2012 Co-ordination Commission and CIES Director and President of the FIFA Master Scientific Committee, to contribute a seminar to the course. In addition, Seb was Guest of Honour at last Summer’s Masters Degree Ceremony, following a long tradition of distinguished sporting greats such as Sergei Bubka, Alexander Popov, Bobby Charlton and Michel Platini.
 
In each of the last three years I have given a presentation to the students outlining how good business practices were bought to bear on London’s successful bid for the 2012 Games. After the presentation we take them out to Holden Point to view progress in the Olympic Park development.

This year’s event went like clockwork thanks to the sterling efforts of the LOCOG team, though the weather could have been kinder. By the time we got to the Olympic Park, the cloud was hanging low and there was more than a touch of drizzle in the air.

However, everyone seemed to enjoy the day and the level of interest, as evidenced by the number of questions, was particularly high. The questions touched upon a wide range of topics covering such issues as security of athletes in the Park, the broad economic impact of the Games, Project Funding and Environment and Sustainable Development.