The Egyptian government has made a major move to develop the area of sport management as a legitimate academic discipline by signing a memorandum of understanding between the British University in Egypt and the International University Sports Federation (FISU). Under this agreement, the British University in Egypt becomes FISU’s sole academic partner for Africa and the Arab region in order to establish the first FISU Master Programme in Sports Management in the aforementioned regions, creating a new avenue for students wishing to pursue their postgraduate studies in the area, which has developed considerably concerning the business, governance, and worldwide development of sport. The signing ceremony occurred at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the New Administrative Capital and was attended by the minister, Professor Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa.
What makes this partnership important is both its symbolism and its actual structure; it will allow the British University in Egypt to design, offer, and award degrees, while FISU will provide the program framework and strategic oversight and help graduates have access to their global networks for internships, engagement, and professional development. The objective of this initiative is to address a very long-standing hole between what is learned at university and what is happening in the real world in the workforce by providing programs that prepare graduates to become leaders for sport organizations, manage (put on) international events, and maintain and/or operate facilities to international standards.
The goal of this initiative is part of a larger national goal of elevating Egypt’s status as an international leader in terms of both higher education and greater international cooperation among universities and also to create a regional center of excellence for educational and research programs related to the specialized fields of study. According to Professor Dr. Abedalaziz Konsowa, the new agreement marks the beginning of a much broader and more long-term strategic partnership between the universities involved, and for Professor Mohamed Loutfi MBE, the new agreement shows confidence in the quality of scholarship at BUE, the first accredited university in Egypt and in North Africa, and that this established academic standard will serve to enhance the credibility of the functioning of the university system in Egypt and North Africa. Finally, as President of FISU Leonz Eder pointed out, the new program will create a bridge between education and sport at the master’s level within the Arab and African regions, especially in advance of the FISU World University Summer Games in 2031 to be held in Egypt.
