emirates7 - Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi has announced the opening of admissions for the Executive Diploma in Sports Management for the 2022-2023 academic year.

The Executive Diploma in Sports Management is offered by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi in association with the International Centre for Sport Studies (supported by FIFA) and in collaboration with UAE Football Association.

March 2022 marked the end of the semester for the 7th cohort of the Executive Diploma in Sports Management. At the end of the semester,15 students in the current cohort already started working on their thesis papers to present them in the FIFA/CIES University Network Award, which is an annual competition that includes 19 participating universities.

The seventh cohort of the programme included a number of professionals and specialists from various organisations including the Sports Department at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Football Association (UAEFA), Yas Marina Circuit, and as well as a group of students from the Ministry of Sports of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Executive Diploma in Sports Management was designed to provide specialists and experts with the opportunity to enhance their careers and build a professional network through organising visits to various institutions and entities. The programme also provides students with the opportunity to participate in several initiatives during their studies to develop their knowledge and sharpen their skills.

Mohammed Abdullah Hazam Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the UAEFA, highlighted the significance of sports literacy in preparing qualified calibres who can contribute to the administrative and professional success.

He added, "Studying management is essential in the era of technological development as it serves the UAE Football Association’s goals and strategy, and therefore, we can lay the foundation for success and achieve our set goals in the sports industry, Football in particular, by preparing qualified calibres who are equipped with experience and knowledge in management."

Alexandre Blaise, Head of Sports Department and Director of the Programme at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, said, "The Executive Diploma in Sports Management is a comprehensive programme that gives an overview of the different types of sports and its curriculum is not limited to football only as it aims to enrich students with knowledge and help them achieve career success."

As of September 2022, the programme will be named, "FIFA-CIES International Programme in Sports management" and admission is now open for the programme.