Abu Dhabi: As the UAE vies for a bigger share of the global sports sector which will be worth an estimated Dh532 billion by 2015, the first undergraduate degree in sports management was launched in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
In continuing efforts to develop knowledge and skills needed to drive sport in the UAE, the programme has been designed for the first time in the Arab world to create a unique opportunity for young Emiratis to prepare themselves for the future as the country tries to position itself as a world-class sporting destination.
Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology, officially launched the Bachelor’s degree programme.
The establishment of a BSc (Hons) Applied Sport Management programme is the result of a partnership between the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), the largest provider of higher education in the UAE, and the University of Ulster, one of the UK’s top learning centres.
The first batch of students to be admitted will commence a full-time, four-year course in September this year.
“The University of Ulster already offers a number of very successful Bachelor’s degree courses across the Middle East and is delighted now, in partnership with HCT, to be able to offer the opportunity for highly motivated Emirati students with a keen interest in sport to enrol on this new degree programme,” said Peter Barnett, vice-chancellor of Ulster University.
“The overarching objective of the applied sports management programme is to ensure students understand that such a degree course will not only equip them for employment, but also develop attributes and provide experiences that will greatly enrich them as individuals,” Barnett added.
The programme, which consists of 29 courses, aims at developing a full understanding and appreciation of challenges faced by those managing global sport in the twenty first century.
In this programme, the quality of the student learning experience is enhanced through a range of teaching and learning methods such as, interactive lectures, small group webinars, online individual tutorials and practical workshops.
“It is important to our country’s sporting future that, through the provision of higher education based on the best international standards, a new generation of young Emiratis is developed and empowered to contribute to the continuing growth of the UAE sports industry,” said Dr Tayeb Kamali, vice-chancellor of HCT.
Kamali expressed confidence that both participating sports management professionals and applicants would opt for the courses, saying many were already employed in the UAE either in a full-time or part-time capacity.
“Such degree can provide many opportunities for young nationals to play key roles in the future development of our nation’s top sporting events,” Kamali said.
“Sport is becoming increasingly significant to our society and to the development of our global image as a young and progressive nation,” said Dr Mohammad Bin Sulayem, president of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), the national motor sport authority.
The UAE, he said, is eager to earn a bigger share in the global sports sector, which is projected to reach a value of Dh532 billion by 2015. “Thus, to allow the country to take the next step, we need qualified and trained Emiratis running our sports properties to the highest international standards,” Bin Sulayem added.
