UWS STUDENT REPRESENTING THE UK AT PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ACADEMY
23 June 2009
University of the West of Scotland PhD student, Ana Adi will represent the UK at the International Olympic Academy’s Postgraduate Seminar, a prestigious month-long postgraduate course in Olympic Studies.
In addition to being the only PhD student from the UK selected to attend this event, Ana, 26, has been appointed co-ordinator of the 17th annual Postgraduate Seminar which will bring together 40 students from around the world. Her role will be to ensure that the seminar runs smoothly, representing at the same time a link between the past and current generations of postgraduate IOA attendees.
The event, which takes place from Wednesday 1 July to 30 July 2009, is being held at the headquarters of the International Olympic Academy (IOA) in Ancient Olympia in Greece.
The event will see postgraduate students from across the globe undertaking a series of lectures covering topics ranging from the Ancient Olympics to ethics in sport, as well as delivering presentations on their own research.
Ana’s PhD examines the Beijing Olympic Games of 2008 from a new media and communications perspective, investigating China's image in relation to the online human rights debate.
Her participation at this postgraduate seminar follows International Olympic Committee (IOC) funded research, which saw Ana undertake primary research at the home of the IOC in Lausanne, Switzerland. Funded by one of IOC’s prestigious international grants, of which only 7 were awarded this year, this research saw Ana undertake a series of interviews of key personnel that worked at the Beijing Games to gain a better understanding of the IOC’s position and communication strategy.
Ana, who lives in Neilston in Glasgow, said: “It is a real honour to be the co-ordinator of this high-profile event. The IOA is a great place for scholarly debates as well as for finding out about Olympic research interests around the world.
“This prestigious IOA event, along with my recent visit to the International Olympic Committee, will really benefit my doctoral studies. Initial findings of my research already suggest that there is a need for more academic research into communications and the Olympic Games."
Professor Andy Miah of the University’s School of Media, Language and Music, who will be a Visiting Professor at the International Olympic Academy this year said: “I am delighted that Ana has been selected to co-ordinate this prestigious event. Ana had to see off fierce competition from across the globe to secure this post - it’s a great achievement and a great collaboration for our University.”