Letter from London Olympics euphoria The weather in London has really heated up at last, just in time for the end of the academic year. There are plenty of things to think about in the last month of the break, not the least of which is the successful Olympics 2012 bid which cheered us up briefly before the terrorist attacks on London’s public transport system. Evidently research grants and job opportunities in ‘Olympic subjects’ are set to explode. Opportunities will arise not only in the field of sports science, already a popular area of study, but in a wide range of other fields connected with the staging of such a mega event. The most obvious are subjects such as events management, tourism, urban regeneration, environment and cultural studies, all of which are expected to receive a cascade of research funding. Most of these subjects have thus far not been regarded as serious areas of study; however they are crucial to the successful hosting of Olympics 2012. Prof. Mahoney, chairman of the British Association of Sports and Exercise Sciences and dean of Wolverhampton University’s School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure, hopes the government will step up investment in sports subjects to create well qualified graduates able to organise and manage the games. Comments Ian Henry, co-director of the Centre for Olympic Studies and Research based at Loughborough University: “There’s a lot of potential income and prestige in sports related education. People are keen to be associated with the (host) country. It will allow us to put together a high-quality network internationally.” In countries which previously hosted the Olympic games student numbers for sports related subjects increased substantially. In China for example, there’s been a sharp increase in students applying for such courses as the Beijing Olympics 2008 draws near. Consequently universities in the UK are already anticipating a rise in applications for games related subjects. Undoubtedly Olympics 2012 is a wonderful recruiting bait offering real opportunities to graduates at the end of their studies. Debi Hayes, head of marketing and operations at Greenwich University’s Business School believes hosting Olympics 2012 will enhance the student experience, and encourage the development of links with local businesses and groups involved in the huge task ahead. “This will be very appealing for those working for the Olympics. Those with events management degrees will have great opportunities.” Universities equipped with contemporary sports facilities and games accommodation are seizing the opportunity to earn additional income by offering training facilities for athletes who could start training as early as 2008. Other institutions such as the department of sports and exercise medicine at Queen Mary’s, University of London, will provide clinical support for the British team and other athletes. Such examples go to show that British universities and academia are becoming increasingly excited by the prospect of the London Olympics 2012. (Jacqueline Thomas is a London-based journalist/ academic) China Student rush for party membership More students than ever are members of the Communist Party of China, figures released on…
