The Effect of the International Olympic Academy’s Olympic Studies on Postgraduate Students’ Work.

Abstract

When Pierre de Coubertin introduced the modern Olympic Games, one of the central ideals underpinning the revival of the Games was education. As an established educational and cultural institution of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Olympic Academy (IOA) has been providing forums for education and research for 60 years. The aim of this study is to explore the educational aims of the IOA’s International Seminars, and the effect of the seminar on postgraduates’ subsequent work. The case study design used in this research permitted a deep examination of participants from a single country. Australia was chosen due to its long-standing association with the modern Games and the historical connection of the researchers’ University with the IOA. Data were generated via IOA-related documents and semi structured interviews with past participants, and were subsequently thematically analysed. Key findings included the characterisation of the IOA as an inspirational place for participants to continue to critique, extend or implement Olympic aspects in their work. Further, participants’ work, or certain aspects of it, seemed to have been directly and/or indirectly impacted by notions of Olympism, Olympics or the Olympic Movement, due to their IOA experiences.