Olympic and paralympic Games: THE IMPACT OF ... - Universities UK

Loughborough University and the JapaneseOlympic Committee have also been workingtogether on a training camp deal. Theuniversity helped to launch the Musubischools project, which sees studentsthroughout the East Midlands learning aboutJapanese culture and the Olympic values atinteractive workshops hosted on campus.Students have been given the chance to learnbasic Japanese, find out about the country’sculture and see some of Britain and Japan’sOlympic hopefuls in action.Loughborough University’s Director of Sport,Chris Earle, said: “We can use our links withthe Games and sports organisations in theregion to connect with young people andinspire them to get involved with sport. Ourrelationship with Japan strengthens thatfurther and we can introduce students to adifferent culture and teach them about thecountry’s histories and traditions.”Cardiff University has welcomed athletesfrom South Africa on to its campus. Head ofSport and Exercise Stuart Vanstone hopesthe team’s presence can be a huge advantageto staff and students. He said: “We’re hopingfor some real legacy benefits from the pre-Games training camp. We hope there willbe some engagement between athletes andstudents whilst they’re on campus. This mightcome in the form of questions and answerssessions and the delivery of some ‘give it a go’sessions.”The University of Aberdeen and RobertGordon University will help to host theCameroon Olympic team prior to the 2012Games in what is expected to be the furthestUK-based training camp from London.Shona Robison, Scottish Government Ministerfor Commonwealth Games and Sport, said:“Securing pre Games training camps not onlygives Scotland the opportunity to showcaseour facilities but also allows us to promote ournation and its people as a place to visit anddo business for both London 2012, Glasgow2014 and beyond.”St Mary’s University College in London’s new£8.25 million sports centre is a pre-Gamestraining camp venue for athletes from SouthAfrica, Ireland and China, and during a recentvisit Lord Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London2012 Organising Committee, was shown howthe university college’s preparations for thesquads’ arrival are progressing.Lord Coe praised the institution for itscontribution to, and development of, highquality sport over so many years, saying:“St Mary’s is forward thinking and worldrenowned. It shares the Olympic vision andwill have a role to play in sport way beyond2012.”In addition to training camps, universitycampuses and facilities are being used in anumber of other ways to support the Olympicand Paralympic Games. In London manyhigher education institutions are providingtheir halls of residence for the use of theworld’s media.“Students have been giventhe chance to learn basicJapanese, find out about thecountry’s culture and seesome of Britain and Japan’sOlympic hopefuls in action.”SECTION five : universities, olympic training camps and facilities27