Diploma Programmes in Sports and Major Events Management
for Josoor Institute in Doha (Qatar)
Josoor Institute is the education and training arm of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, the organization leading Qatar's preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2022™. It was launched in December 2013 as a Legacy project with the goal to help continue to build the capabilities of the sports and events industries in Qatar and the MENA region in the run up to the World Cup, and the longer term a part of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Specifically, Josoor aims to:
- Create a talent pool within the region capable of delivering FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and other major events develop the skills of current and future professionals
- Act as a catalyst for the development and growth of the sports and events industries in Qatar and across the region
- Help everyone with the talent and skill to pursue a career in these industries.
At the core of Josoor Institute’s Education are the Professional Diploma Programs in Sports Management and Major Events Management, specifically designed to enhance the knowledge and skill sets of young professionals pursuing a career in sports management or events management, or mid-career professionals already holding positions in these domains and wishing to advance their careers.
SDA Bocconi School of Management has managed the development and delivery of the content, along with the faculty selection and assessments, for four cohorts of the diplomas from 2019 to 2022, for more than 300 alumni equipping them with expertise and skills to manage projects and organizations in the sports and events industries.
The opportunity
By supporting Josoor Institute, SDA Bocconi School of Management contributed to Qatar’s knowledge-based economy by advancing both human and economic development in the sports and events industries centered around the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
Given the rapid growth that the sports events and entertainment industry has had over the past decades, SDA Bocconi has developed the right experience and knowledge to be able to transfer the necessary managerial competencies and skills in a certain territory and to those who run a business, want to maximize sport results, or had to deliver a challenging event in this complicated and dynamic environment.
Whether the role is related to the organization of events, rather than to the sports management of an organization, it is essential to have in-depth knowledge of how the sports ecosystem works in order to understand its dynamics, operation, and prospects for collaboration to drive future development.
To this end, SDA Bocconi School of Management – with its Sport & Entertainment Knowledge Center - has supported Josoor Institute to the delivery of Diploma Programmes and to promote the country's management education and culture in preparation for the organization of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, but also building capacity in the whole territory working with multiple stakeholders.
The book “Qatar the Land of Sports and Events. Human Capital Strategy for Socio-Economic Impacts”
In 2022, Dino Ruta edited the book “Qatar the Land of Sports and Events. Human Capital Strategy for Socio-Economic Impacts”, collecting the contributions of the Sport and Entertainment Knowledge Center faculty that were part of the Diploma Programmes. The book was published before the start of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ by Bocconi University Press.
The book describes the Qatari investments and human capital strategies. Over the last two decades, Qatar has decided to invest in three key assets for its sustainable socio-economic development: sports, events and education. After an overview from a socio-economic perspective, the book examines the major events hosted in the country and the process that led Qatar to win the FIFA bid, documenting the controversies and challenges faced during this process. Furthermore, the book highlights the country’s strong focus on capacity-building and creating a solid legacy through human capital and infrastructure development, which are able to profoundly shape its future. The narrative has been enriched by interviews with and contributions from some of the main players involved in this transformation. The goal is to describe facts and initiatives in an authentic way, highlighting good practices in the field of education, while following a multicultural perspective.
The book has been written with the clear purpose to share a research and educational project delivered by SDA Bocconi School of Management for Josoor Institute in Doha along with the Sport and Events investments and innovations that are occurring in Qatar in the last years.
Furthemore, Dino Ruta and the team wrote a “Post-event Report” in order to complete the observational and analytical work begun with the publication of the book "Qatar the Land of Sports and Events. Human Capital Strategy for Socio-Economic Impacts”. Through a rigorous process of observation, data collection (14 structured interviews to Josoor Alumni) and analysis, the report provides a comprehensive view of what the 2022 World Cup in Qatar meant for the nation itself and the entire world.
The participants
The selected delegates are almost evenly divided between women and men and are primarily residents of Qatar. Their nations of origin, however, are multiple since more than half of the participants originally come from outside Qatar. Most of the delegates are already working in the world of sports or events. Former world-class athletes, such as the football players Tim Cahill, Wael Goma and Ali Al-Habsi, also participated in this program.
Over the four cohorts of the programs in partnership with SDA Bocconi, more than 300 participants took part in the learning journey.
A unique learning experience
The structure of the two programmes, taking place in Doha, as designed by SDA Bocconi Scientific Direction, was specular for both diplomas:
- lectures delivered by SDA Bocconi faculty members and guest speakers who present in English with simultaneous translation into Arabic
- international and MENA-region speakers and field trips to enable delegates to completely understand the notions learned in the classroom as applied in high-level, real-world settings
- an initial and final competency model assessment, with additional assignments during the program on the following skills: business insight, strategic mindset, customer focus, collaboration, communication, networks, and self-development
- a final group project which participants will work on throughout the course and present at the end of the program to a select panel of faculty members
- an online learning platform (Moodle), where all course materials and exam grades are posted
- six blocks for each annual program, five days per block, each delving into a different theme
The structure of both programs was consistent with the basic tenets of courses designed by SDA Bocconi, as clearly described by Professor Ruta in a 2021 interview for Sport Business magazine: “We designed the program stressing certain components and de-emphasizing others we might focus on elsewhere. The theoretical part is presented as the background, and priority is given to hands-on experiences from the MENA Region and other relevant international organizations. The delegates want to be engaged, they want to do exercises and be practical. The model is no longer a one-way lecture where the professor shows the international best practices in sports and events industries and the audience just listens. As a matter of fact, each year we’re creating a tailor-made program – it’s never off-the-shelf. But it’s my philosophy that if we are able to deliver something that is tailored for the target audience, then the impact will be higher, and the relationship will last longer.”
In person format
The first year of the two Diploma Programmes, in collaboration with SDA Bocconi, kicked off on 31 March 2019. The entire year’s course offering featured all six blocks of both Diploma Programmes in Doha, with three company visits to Aspire Zone, Al Khalifa Stadium and Al-Kass TV. The second year began in Doha in February 2020, with the same macro structure. At the end of the first module, however, the pandemic broke out and impacted the program delivered by Josoor Institute and SDA Bocconi. The lockdowns in the two countries, as well as the travel bans, transformed the course, which pivoted from an in-person to an online format using the zoom platform, without postponing any modules.
Online format
This very quickly became a new way of learning, with much more stimuli, and knowing very well that in-person networking and exchanging opportunities could be organized after the crisis subsided.
Online educational methods came into play guaranteeing a variety of formats and alternating lectures with activities that required participant action, and making the learning path stimulating, effective and meaningful. Online was well received by delegates since it was designed by SDA Bocconi faculty in an effective manner that encouraged attention, promoted critical thinking and kept the participants involved. SDA Bocconi re-designed all the sessions following the principles of: rhythm, the right timing for each activity, according to a meticulous, structured learning script; social learning, an initiative for knowledge sharing and dialoguing; and plurality, a variety of tools to stimulate curiosity. These three criteria underpinned the development of a framework for building an online learning community for emerging professionals in the sports and events area, with Joosor leading the way as a pioneer in new learning frontiers. The experience in this context defines learning as a mediated, situated, distributed, goal-directed, and participatory activity within a socially and culturally determined learning community.
Thanks to the switch to the online format, a new role was welcomed in the academic team: a Learning Facilitator for each edition for each program. The Learning Facilitator is a dedicated professional who facilitates the learning experience by assisting the participant in the learning journey by providing guidelines, feedback and advice throughout the course.
News
04 November 2019
100 delegates visited Khalifa Stadium and Al Kass Sports Channel
Diploma Programmes in Sports Management and Major Events Management - Josoor Institute, in Doha ...
16 September 2019
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SDA Bocconi for Josoor Institute
03 July 2019
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SDA Bocconi for Josoor Institute
07 February 2019
SDA Bocconi and Josoor Institute partner to impact the future of sports and event management
The partnership will promote two new programs in Sports and in Events Management to support the ...
12 April 2021
A new edition of the sports management and major events management programs in Qatar has ...
