News and Features

Olympic Studies University of Canterbury is pleased to announce that they have signed a Co-operation Agreement with the Willibald Gebhardt Research Institute: University of Duisburg-Essen Germany. The Willibald Gebhardt Research Institute is a prestigious institute that has a leading role in research on Olympic studies and sport education initiatives in Europe. The Institute is led by Dr Professor Roland Naul who has a very strong research interest in Olympic education. The signed agreement is for a period of two years and both institutions have agreed to co-operate and work together in areas of mutual interest concerning research and dissemination of scholarly works relating to Olympic Studies with a particular focus on Olympic education and its socio-cultural and pedagogical aspects. During the two year period it has been agreed that the focus of the cooperation will be the research project: ‘World-Wide Survey on Teaching Olympic Education’.

In July Sandra Thorn from the School of Sciences and Physical Education attended the International Olympic Academy Past Participants Session in Olympic Greece and delivered a paper focussed on her research into Olympic education. Her presentation was entitled Olympism in Action - Purpose and Pedagogy of Olympic Education in New Zealand.

Ian Culpan from the School of Sciences and Physical Education visited Dr Professor Roland Naul at the Willibald Gebhardt Research Institute: University of Duisburg-Essen Germany. The purpose of the visit was for the University of Canterbury and the Willibald Gebhardt Research Institute: University of Duisburg-Essen Germany to explore possible mutual areas of interest and collaborate on research initiates. The visit has resulted in a co-operation agreement between the two institutions.

Samantha Nanayakkara, our Olympic Studies PhD student, has had her short paper submission accepted  for the Virtual Olympic Congress for the IOC’s Olympic Forum in Copenhagen in October – congratulations Samantha.  

In August Ian Culpan was invited by the International Olympic Committee to lead the Olympic Values Education Programme "Train the Trainers” course in Suva Fiji. This session was attended by Ministry of Education officials, University of South Pacific staff, Physical education and sport education teachers, and Olympic Committee members from across the Oceania region.

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