RIOU students start Paralympic learning programmes

11 March 2014, Sochi: Students studying on the Russian International Olympic University’s (RIOU) inaugural Master of Sports Administration (MSA) course are learning about the practicalities of hosting a Paralympic Winter Games by engaging in observer and participation programmes with the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee.

These programmes – which started on Sunday 9 March and run until the last day of the Games on 16 March – are being organised jointly by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Academy and the World Academy of Sport.

The Observer Programme is designed to help students understand how the unique knowledge acquired by the organisers of the current Games is transferred to future organising committees while the Games Experience Programme aims to deliver a multi-stakeholder perspective of Games management and offers an understanding of the business potential that sporting events hold. 

Both programmes engage students through lectures, seminars and round-table discussions with key officials responsible for the staging of the Games and the development of the Paralympic Movement. To enhance their integration, students have been granted privileged access to Sochi 2014’s Winter Games venues so they can witness their core operating functions. 

RIOU’s MSA students will also conduct a detailed survey of more than 200 athletes and media to collect valuable feedback on how these groups perceive different aspects of the planning and staging of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. In particular, the survey will cover competition and training venues, Paralympic Villages, transport and spectator engagement. Their findings will be used in further research and will provide a basis for a comprehensive analysis of the perception of the Games.

RIOU Rector, Professor Lev Belousov, said: 

"Our students had an excellent chance to get a behind-the-scenes view of the organisation of the recent Olympic Winter Games and now they have a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the operations behind the Paralympic Winter Games.  

"The organisation of the Paralympic Games is a very complex and subtle logistical process requiring tailored skills and expertise. Learning programmes delivered by the IPC Academy ensure direct transfer of such knowledge and provide deep insights into the most important aspects of the Paralympic Movement. RIOU students will familiarise themselves with core functional areas such as broadcasting, spectator involvement, and the effective use of Paralympic brands. That’s why we feel it is important to incorporate practical training at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games into the MSA course."

– Ends –

The Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation "Russian International Olympic University" (RIOU) was established on 21 October 2009 under the Memorandum of Understanding between the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee and the Russian Olympic Committee, and under a decree of the Russian Federation No 774. The founders of the University are the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee, and Interros private investment company.

The Chairman of the RIOU Board of Trustees is the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and its Deputy Chairman is Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee, thereby making RIOU an establishment cemented firmly in both Russian and Olympic history.

The University is based in Sochi - the host city for the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games – and offers unique programmes infused with Olympic values and experiences. RIOU’s activities concentrate on training specialists in sports management for the Russian and international sports industry, and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements. The University’s educational programmes cover the main aspects of sports education: venue and infrastructure management, competitions, mass communications, diplomacy and administration, and career management.

The full one-year tuition fee for the Master of Sport Administration programme is $15,000. The cost of accommodation on the University’s modern campus in central Sochi is $15,000 for the whole period of study. Classes will start in September 2014 and finish in late June, 2015.  

Adelina Akhmetzyanova: 

adelina@olympicuniversity.ru; +7 495 956 24 30

a.inglot@jtassocs.com; +44 7557 435 392