The world’s first international Olympic University – the Russian International Olympic University (RIOU) in Sochi – was today presented to International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge and distinguished guests at Sochi World in Vancouver, who heard that the RIOU’s foundation will be laid in the host city of the 2014 Winter Games shortly after Vancouver 2010.
The RIOU will produce a new generation of sports managers, satisfying the demand in Russia and around the world for highly qualified specialists in the specializations required by the Olympic and Paralympic Movements and international sport industry. Topics of study will include venue management, event management, media management, governance and sport diplomacy, and talent management.
The RIOU presentation included IPC President Philip Craven; Russian Minister of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy Vitaly Mutko; Governor of the Krasnodar Region Alexander Tkachev; IOC Executive Director for the Olympic Games Gilbert Felli; IPC Executive Director for the Paralympic Games Javier Gonzalez; Sochi 2014 President and CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko; President of the Russian Olympic Committee Leonid Tyagachev; Mayor of Sochi Anatoly Pakhomov; as well as Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee experts and representatives of the British Columbia Government.
Prior to the meeting, Dmitry Chernyshenko guided IOC President Rogge on a tour of the iconic Sochi World facility in Vancouver, which is showcasing Sochi 2014 and modern Russian culture and hospitality during the 2010 Winter Games.
President Rogge said following the tour, “I would like to congratulate the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee for the first presentation of Sochi 2014 to the general public. Good luck Sochi!”
Deputy Prime Minister Kozak said, “Russia House has welcomed more than 75,000 guests; the interest has been great. We are looking to meet the expectations of thousands of people. Our work with the IOC and the Organizing Committee will turn into an unforgettable and bright Games in Sochi as a result.”
Speaking after the RIOU presentation “By Sochi 2014 we will have prepared experts who are able to deliver the innovative Games,” said Deputy Prime Minister Zhukov.
“The Russian International Olympic University will be one of the enduring legacies of Sochi 2014, training a new generation of sports managers,” said Sochi 2014 President and CEO, Dmitry Chernyshenko. “It is people that make the Games, not buildings. That is what creates a fantastic atmosphere for a unique Games. We are working hard to deliver it.”
The memorandum of understanding for the establishment of the RIOU was signed on August 8, 2008 on the first day of the Olympic Games in Beijing. In less than two years the concept of the University and Sochi 2014’s innovative Olympic education system has been developed, which has the RIOU as its core element.
The Olympic University in Sochi will be a world-class business school for professionals who want to obtain skills in Olympic management and in the sports industry. In parallel, the University will become a platform for international dialogue among experts.
Major personalities introduce the RIOU to the media
In Sochi World, President of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Rene Fasel; IOC member and four-time Olympic gold medallist, Alexander Popov; and supermodel, Sochi2014 Ambassador and founder of the “Naked Heart” charity, Natalia Vodianova; shared their insights on the importance of Olympic education and the new RIOU in Sochi.
Rene Fasel said, “I never learnt to be a manager. I learnt as a dentist, so I’ve made many mistakes along the way! You learn on the job, but you can avoid so many things with good education. Use this incredible opportunity to go and use the new Olympic University in Sochi. Being a sports manager is the nicest job in the world.”
“For the future, this University can create a new generation of managers. The President of Sochi 2014, Dmitry Chernyshenko, said he would be student number one. Perhaps I can be student number two because I want to learn! This is a University not only for Russia, but for the world as a whole,” said Alexander Popov.
“I was fortunate because I had good teachers. I was taught by my first coach and by my parents and now by the experts around me. In sport you often only have one chance. When you have that chance, take it immediately.”
Natalia Vodianova said, “I am very keen to learn about the Olympic Movement from the experts. The Olympic Games unites people; it unites countries. It showcases new cultures and makes you feel different about each other. That is very special.
“The Olympic Games, and particularly the Paralympic Games, lift up the spirit of a country. I think this will be fantastic at Sochi 2014 and it will have a big impact on Russia. It will make differences to things that are important, such as the big problem in the world that people with a disability are not always treated equally. That can change.”
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, speaking from the floor, said, “The celebration of the Olympic Games has to be of the highest quality and it must be celebrated in the greatest way possible. Not only are we looking at athletic excellence, we are looking at sharing cultures and promoting the values of the Olympic Movement and Paralympic Movement. That knowledge must pass to the next Games.”
Also speaking from the floor, Vladimir Potanin, co-founder of the RIOU, said, “The 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are a great event for our country. They will help us demonstrate our hospitality and showcase our country to the world.
“To do our best we need qualified people. The RIOU must play an important educational role in preparing highly qualified people to make our Winter Games a big success. It is a good example of cooperation between business, international sports and culture and the Russian Government.”
