One of the core functions of the UQ Centre for Olympic and Paralympic Studies is promoting community knowledge about the Games through hosting events and providing access to educational resources.
Events
2024 SportsPro Hackathon
On 23-25 February, students from The University of Queensland competed in the 2024 Sports Pro Hackathon, a pressure-cooker event where students from universities around the globe competed to create new solutions, products and businesses which addressed a critical issue in sport: sustainability.
Leading international universities competed whilst sharing a common objective: driving increased sustainability in sport. The University of Queensland, which is ranked number #1 in Australia and #2 worldwide for sport related subjects, entered two 8-person teams which reflected our expertise across multiple discipline areas. High performing students from Health and Behavioural Sciences (HABS), Business, Economics and Law (BEL), and Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology (EAIT) participated in the UK-based event online, from UQ’s St Lucia campus. The time difference meant that our students worked long into the night across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
They were mentored by leading innovators in the sports industry, as they worked to design a future where sporting mega-events are socially, financially, and environmentally sustainable. You can view the pitches from team 1 and team 2 here. The results will be announced in early March, with winning teams invited to pitch to industry leaders at the London SportsPro Live summit later in 2024.
For more information about the Hackathon, or to register your interest in representing UQ in 2025, please contact cops@uq.edu.au.
UQ Youth Game Changers
UQ Youth Game Changers is a joint initiative of the UQ Centre for Olympic and Paralympic Studies, the Matthew Flinders Discovery Institute, and the Queensland Academy of Sport. This three-day residential learning experience aims to foster a generation of young people who are passionate about using the power of the upcoming 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic games to building positive legacies for their communities.
The inaugural summit was held at UQ from 22-24 November 2023, and gathered student-athletes from Southeast Queensland high schools to design youth-focused initiatives related to inclusion, sustainability, and connectivity in sport.
The next Game Changers summit is scheduled for November 2024. To learn more about the event or to lodge an expression of interest for your school to participate, please contact us via cops@uq.edu.au.
Education
The Centre is curating a collection of educational resources from its research networks, which will be made available to the public here.
UQ offers a range of courses which address Olympic and Paralympic issues, including:
- HMST1910: Socio-Cultural Foundations of Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity
- HMST3190: Sport and Health in Society and Culture
- HIST3003: Playing on the Big Stage: Histories of the Olympics and Paralympics
Further information about Olympic and Paralympic course offerings, including short courses, will be made available here.
Please access the IOC’s Olympic World Library for an excellent range of relevant publications and primary sources