The scholarships are provided by the Vladimir Potanin Foundation and will entitle each recipient with an individual donation of around one million rubles for 2013-2014, which will cover the cost of their education and accommodation on the University's brand new campus.

The Foundation, founded in 1999 by businessman Vladimir Potanin, supports higher education, artistic, cultural and philanthropic projects in Russia, and is keen to encourage and stimulate innovative practices in education.

The MSA programme is the first programme in sport management to be taught at such a high level in Russia and students will study modules including "economics of sport and the Olympic Games", and "sport and the Olympic Games as a business."

Russia's International Olympic University will be situated in Sochi, venue for the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and promises to offer students a unique experience




Larisa Zelkova, the Vladimir Potanin Foundation director general, explained the scholarship further.

"We are confident that RIOU will become a centre of training for a new generation of sports managers; not only for Russian students but for students from all nations that respect the Olympic values," she said. 

"This year's intake is really special and exceptional.

"These people are not dreamers or theorists, but specialists whose life is closely connected with sport and for example, Olympic swimming gold medalist Otylia Jedrzejczak, is one of the students granted a scholarship."

Jedrzejczak, 29, won three medals at Athens 2004, including gold in the 200 metres butterfly.

She came out of retirement to compete at London 2012 but failed to make any impact and does hopes to carve out a career in sports administration.  

"Thanks to RIOU's strong relationship with the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee, students will have a unique chance to combine theory with practice as they will be given the opportunity to experience first-hand what goes into organising and staging next year's Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games," said Zelkova.

Vladimir Potanin (pictured left), who established his Foundation in 1999, is providing scholarships for 20 students to the Russian International Olympic University in Sochi

Professor Lev Belousov, the Rector of RIOU, added: "RIOU is the first, and only, Olympic university in the world where representatives from all continents will study and teach.

"Today, many countries are looking for new generation sports managers who have knowledge of the most up-to-date management practices and who can utilise those practices effectively.

"The MSA programme is designed for representatives of National Olympic Committees, international and national sports federations, sports clubs, agencies, consultancies and other organisations working in the sports sector.

"The programme was designed by Russian and international experts, who, along with professors from leading universities and Olympic research centres, are key members of the university's academic teaching staff."

The full list of Scholarship recipients is Avetissian Areg (Armenia), Akhtyrskaya Anastasia (Russia), Beliaev Ivan (Russia), Chipatiso Abigail (Zimbabwe), Fessenko Olesia (Russia), Grenaderova Natalia (Russia), Hopp Evelyn Miriam (Germany), Jedrzejczak Otylia (Poland), Kokurin Alexey (Russia), Martins Natalie Yomura (Brazil), Martirossian Anna (Armenia), Menéndez Jorge Mario Marroquín (Guatemala), Ngwigwa Obakeng Ambrose (Botswana), Oh Hyoungkeun (Republic of Korea), Pathirathnalage Wijeratne llanga (Sri Lanka), Patrakov Alexey (Russia), Perederiy Vera (Ukraine), Singh Vijay (India), Ssemmanda Joseph Collins (Uganda) and Zaikov Igor (Russia).

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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