Inauguration ‘Brussels Olympic Research and Education Centre’ and academic session ‘Excellence in education and sport: Challenges, cross-over and collaboration’

Information

On the 21st of July, Belgian Independence Day, the IOC Olympic Studies Centres (OSC) awarded the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) with the status of ‘Brussels Olympic Research and Education Centre’. This Brussels Olympic Research and Education Centre is an interdisciplinary centre which, in collaboration with the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC), will focus on research and education about the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Games as well as on the provision of continued professional development and multidisciplinary support services to coaches, athletes and experts in elite sport. This Olympic centre will be part of a worldwide network of over 50 university-based Olympic Studies and Research Centres co-ordinated by the  IOC Olympic Studies Centre. 

 On Monday 14 November 2022 the Brussels Olympic Research and Education Centre will officially be inaugurated by Professor Jan Danckaert, rector of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel together with Jean-Michel Saive, president of the BOIC and Professor Paul Wylleman, chair of the Brussels Olympic Research and Education Centre. 

 This inauguration will be followed by the academic session ‘Excellence in education and sport: Challenges, cross-over and collaboration’ with a panel of national and international experts, and will be closed with a reception. The inauguration, academic session and reception, which will be hosted in auditorium Ilya Prigogine, Nobel Prize winner for Chemistry, of the Atomium in Brussels, is open to, among others, athletes, coaches, technical directors and team managers, students, academics and dual career experts.  

Presenters academic session (T.B.C.)

• Jan Danckaert, rector VUB

• Jean-Michel Saive OLY, president BOIC

• Romain Meeusen, Prof. Human physiology and former vice-rector International Relations VUB

• Olav Spahl, Director elite sport BOIC and Chef de Mission Team Belgium

• Eddy Desmedt, former Technical director elite sport BOIC, former Chef de Mission Team Belgium and fellow VUB

• Maurits Hendriks, former Technical director elite sport NOC*NSF, former Chef de Mission TeamNL, CSO FC Ajax and fellow VUB

• Louis Croenen, OLY swimming and former elite student-athlete VUB

• Loïck Luypaert, OLY field hockey and former elite student-athlete VUB

• Cecilia Camellini, Paralympic swimming and psychologist Università di Verona

• Natalia Stambulova, Prof. Sport and exercise psychology and international dual career expert Halmstad University

• Veerle De Bosscher, Prof. High performance management and coordinator Sports Policy factors Leading to International Sporting Success (SPLISS) VUB

• Kristine De Martelaer, Prof. Pedagogy of Physical Education and co-founder Center for Ethics in Sport (ICES) VUB

• Bart Roelands, Prof. Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy Research group VUB

• Thierry Zintz, Prof. Em. Management of sports organisations and chair Olympic Chair Henri de Baillet Latour Jacques Rogge UCL

• Paul Wylleman, Prof. Sport psychology, head Sport Psychology and Mental Support Research group and head dept. Topsport and Study VUB