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SNU Signs MoU with the Association of National Olympic Committees

ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah (left) and Director of SNU Dream Together Master Program KANG Joon-ho signed MoU to encourage more interaction on Jan. 19, 2015.
ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah (left) and Director of SNU Dream Together Master Program KANG Joon-ho signed MoU to encourage more interaction on Jan. 19, 2015.

On January 19, the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Division of Global Sport Management Talent Development at Seoul National University (GSM-SNU). The event took place during the ANOC Executive Council Meeting held in ANOC’s headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The purpose of the MoU is to encourage more interaction between the two organizations through academic cooperation. The MoU also seeks to contribute to the development of sport within the international community.

As part of the agreement, ANOC stated that it would recommend prospective candidates from National Olympic Committees (NOC) of all continents around the world for SNU’s “Dream Together Master Program”. ANOC will also help students pursue careers and internships within NOCs.

Seoul National University’s “Dream Together Master Program” was launched in 2013 with the support of the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and Next Generation Sports Talent Foundation. The Master Program is taught by internationally renowned professors, and provides a world-class education aiming to produce sports administrators. A variety of subjects are taught, such as sports humanities, organization and governance, marketing, the Olympic Movement, and international sport development and cooperation.

After the signing of the MoU, ANOC President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah expressed:

“We are very happy to have entered into this partnership with the Seoul National University. We are always looking at ways of improving our offering to the NOCs and creating a route for them to enter into further education and learn from international best practice is an excellent way of doing that.”

He continued by stating the benefits of the agreement and the Master Program. “Many smaller NOCs will not have access to the same level of international expertise as their colleagues from larger NOCs. The Dream Together Master Program is specifically designed to target sports and administrators at NOCs and National Federation of countries where sport is less well developed. Working with Seoul National University will allow ANOC to offer greater opportunities to our NOCs and equip them with the tools they need to advance the sports movement within their countries and beyond.”

President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah also explained that the program is expected to continue for a long-term.

On Seoul National University’s side, Professor KANG Joon-ho, Director and Professor of the Dream Together Master Program and Global Sport Management Graduate Program expressed his delight.

“We are very excited about the opportunities that our collaborative partnership with ANOC will bring. ANOC represents 204 NOCs worldwide and so is ideally placed to help us connect with nations around the world. We want to work with as many NOCs as possible to ensure that they are maximizing sport’s full potential to change society for the better.”

Professor Kang added, “This program is a kind of platform that any entity can join to develop future leaders in sport management for public and private sectors. As one of the world-class comprehensive universities representing Asia, Seoul National University is the only institution offering Master’s and PhD degrees in sport management among the top 50 universities in the world.”

Articles referenced:
http://www.acnolympic.org/media-centre/anoc-press-releases/2015/01/anoc-signs-mou-with-seoul-national-university/
http://www.sportsfeatures.com/olympicsnews/story/51394/anoc-teams-up-with-seoul-national-university-promoting-education

Written by OH Jung Eun, SNU English Editor, josefinaoh@snu.ac.kr
Reviewed by Eli Park Sorensen, SNU Professor of Liberal Studies, eps7257@snu.ac.kr