Founder

Welcome to the UNESCO Chair on Governance and Social Responsibility in Sport.

"I am honored to lead this Chair, which has been established to foster an integrated system of research, education, and training to enhance the quality of governance practices within the sports industry and, by engaging with diverse and influential people, advocate socially responsible program designs that prioritize sport as a core component.

We all know that, at its best, sport is a universal language that transcends boundaries and cultures and unites individuals from all walks of life, backgrounds, and origins, allowing them to come together and jointly seek victories in and outside the field. In this sense, sport fosters inclusivity, promotes peace, and creates a notion of global cooperation.

Indeed, UNESCO seeks to promote the development and practice of sporting activities to foster social integration in different cultural and political contexts. However, the governance of sports organizations that have assumed the responsibility of carrying out these activities affects their inherent quality and impact on the final recipients, the end-beneficiaries - not only young men and women but also citizens of all ages. So, our Chair focuses on the ‘agents’ and the micro-processes that often put at risk and harm the integrity of sport.

This joint leadership is special as it brings together two countries with loads to share, chief among them being cultural and sporting aspirations for a better world. Therefore, this joint leadership status is, therefore, the vehicle that connects two increasingly influential academic institutions UCLan Cyprus and, crucially, serves as the common denominator towards strengthening links between research, teaching, and practice at national, regional, and global levels.

Of course, I am not – in fact, I cannot be – alone in this exercise. It is a collective effort, which is governed by an Advisory Committee comprising a set of influential scholars and practitioners from across the globe and serves as its strategic direction, validation, and arbitration authority (refer to the Terms of Reference). 

I am thrilled that we have already started making things happen in all six strategic pillars: Research, Education & Training, Stakeholder Engagement, Communication & Outreach, Policy & Impact, and Esports. However, I am particularly grateful to the HBKU’s Curriculum Committee for approving a new elective (SPTE_612: Sport Governance) for our Master of Sport and Entertainment Management ranked No. 5 globally in the 2022 SportBusiness Postgraduate Course Rankings – which is a joint degree with the University of South Carolina's Department of Sport and Entertainment Management.

I invite you to explore the Chair’s website, engage with our research, participate in our events, and join our global network of like-minded individuals and organizations committed to promoting good governance and social responsibility in sports.  

If you are somebody and/or represent an organization with a common interest in good governance and social responsibility in sport and wish to become an affiliated member of this UNESCO Chair, just contact us here, by stating how this Chair can help you achieve your goals, but also how your activities can add value to the Chair.

As an affiliated member of this Chair you:

• Become inspired through exchanging ideas, knowledge, and experiences.
• Collaborate with other affiliated members.
• Contribute to one or more of the activities and projects.
• Receive first the Chair’s news and updates.
• Become visible and recognized as an affiliated member on the Chair’s website.

Nikos Kazantzakis, the Greek writer, philosopher, and poet, nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in nine different years, believed that we all have an untapped power within us that can help us achieve greatness. His iconic quote, “Reach what you cannot,” urges us to push beyond our limits and explore the depths of our potential. This quote constitutes the driving force, the heart and soul, what the UNESCO Chair strives for."