Abu Dhabi: Launch of the first FIFA/CIES Programme

The first edition of the FIFA/CIES Programme in sport management started on 28 September on the campus of Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (PSUAD), the academic partner of the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) in the United Arab Emirates. Twenty-four students attended the first classes which will continue until June 2015. The Programme benefits from the support of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC).

PSUAD Vice-Chancellor Eric Fouache, Deputy Vice-Chancellors Fatima Al Shamsi and François-Xavier Romanacce as well as ADSC General Secretary H.E. Aref Al Awani were present for the opening ceremony.

“This partnership with CIES is very important to us. It will make it possible to train sports managers taking both national needs and international realities into account. As we are now part of a 16-University network, this partnership also corresponds to our mission of building bridges between civilisations”, rejoiced Eric Fouache.

For his part, H.E. Aref Al Awani confirmed that the PSUAD/FIFA/CIES Programme should contribute to achieving the medium-term objectives of the ADSC. He added that the partnership could form the basis for other cooperation for the benefit of sport in the region.

After the official part of the ceremony, the students were able to get right into the sport management topic with a conference on leadership and sport by Dino Ruta, Professor at SDA Bocconi School of Management and member of the FIFA Master scientific committee.

CIES and its partners extend a warm welcome to: Hamad, Yousef, Esmaeel, Mohamed, Ammar, Muneera, Mubarak, Hussain, Hatem, Yasser, Aljalila, Ayesha Mohammad Fahad, Muhammed, Ahmed, Reem, Mohamed, Sarmad, Salem, Safa, Maeva, Shady, Louis, Robert and Nojood.