What they say
Olympic values as a guiding thread
Continuing education for sports leaders, grounded in Olympic principles, is of fundamental importance for safeguarding the integrity of athletes and the core values conveyed by sport. A sports leader must serve as an ethical benchmark. To achieve this, they must have a deep understanding of sport and a genuine passion for it. At the same time, they must be able to navigate the worlds of management and marketing in order to support initiatives that enhance the visibility and depth of sport. Thanks to the unique collaboration between UCLouvain, Ghent University and the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC), a strong training programme has been developed. It ensures a solid balance between sport-specific management techniques, managerial skills and Olympic values, which serve as its guiding thread.
P.-O. Beckers
President of the BOIC
I am particularly pleased, in my capacity as Rector, that UCLouvain is co-organising, for the second time, the Interuniversity Certificate in Sports Organisation Management – Belgian Olympic Academy, in partnership with Ghent University and the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee.
This pooling of expertise from two universities and a major stakeholder in sport in our country responds to a pressing need. Over the past twenty years, the world of sport has undergone significant professionalisation, as demonstrated by elite athletes, coaches and private sports service providers. As early as 1982, the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee launched its Olympic Academy, focusing on sports managers.
Our collaboration enhances this long-standing commitment by providing it with academic recognition. For UCLouvain, it fits within a broader lifelong learning strategy, which is also reflected in the Master’s degree in Motor Sciences, Physical Education track, where a specialisation in Sports Organisation Management has existed since the 2006–2007 academic year. It is also underpinned by a research-oriented approach, embodied by the Henri de Baillet Latour and Jacques Rogge Olympic Chair in Sports Organisation Management.
The sessions of the Interuniversity Certificate in Sports Organisation Management – Belgian Olympic Academy have enabled many high-level sports executives to graduate. They now hold positions of responsibility within our federations and major clubs and act as ambassadors for this certificate.
Professor Vincent Blondel
Former Rector of UCLouvain