The Expert Committee of the Vladimir Potanin Foundation Olympic Scholarship Program selected winners of the grant competition for visiting professors of the Master of Sports Administration Program (MSA) of the Russian International Olympic University (RIOU).  The competition was held for the first time with the aim to attract the best world-class experts to RIOU, introduce innovative courses into the ROIU curricula and promote dissemination of knowledge and best practices of the world sports industry.

Oksana Oracheva, General Director of the Foundation: "This is our first experience in supporting the RIOU faculty; so far the Foundation gave only scholarships to students studying sports management. Why have we decided to support RIOU plans to invite visiting professors? To be in the thick of action, follow latest trends, study and immediately adopt successful experience of pioneer managers is critically important for such a dynamic area as sports management teaching. ROIU may be safely called a unique training center in the world as well as the key intellectual heritage of the 2014 Winter Olympics. We are confident that by inviting the best professors we have undoubtedly enhanced its reputation.”

Prof. Lev Belousov, Rector of RIOU: “Thanks to this grant competition we’ve managed to put together an exclusive international faculty pool. Without exaggeration, each visiting professor is an established authority in his/her area of expertise. Their teaching in the University gives RIOU a solid competitive advantage.”

List of Winners of the Grant Competition for visiting professors of the Olympic Scholarship Program 2016

1. Mr Wladimir Andreff, France, Introduction to the Economics of Sport and the Olympics
2. Mr John Greatrex Beech, UK, Revenue Generation
3. Mr Vassil Girginov, UK, Global Sport Governance
4. Mr Robert Josef Kaspar, Austria, Sport Tourism
5. Mr Michael John McNamee, UK, Olympic Philosophy and Sport Ideology
6. Mr Norman O’Reilly, USA, Sport Development and Management Concepts
7. Ms Dimitra Papadimitriou, Greece, Sport Organization’s Governance
8. Mr Eivind Asrum Skille, Norway, Sport Policy Analysis
9. Mr James Lee Skinner, Australia, Research methods for sport management
10. Ms Tracy Lynn Taylor, Australia, Leadership and People Management in Sport

 The professors start teaching in the new semester beginning in September 2016.