The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and Aspire Zone have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Qatar University (QU) to establish an academic programme for talented athletes.

The MoU was signed by theQFA President, H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al-Thani,SC Secretary General, H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, QUPresident, Dr Hassan Al Derham, and Aspire Zone CEO, Mohammad Khalifa Al-Suwaidi.

The MoU aims to support and develop talented athletes, and to drive forward the spirit of innovation in sports in Qatar. The terms of the MoU include collaboration to establish, implement and support an academic programme for talented athletes and football professionals in Qatar. This will contribute to building the future generation of football professionals.

Commenting on the MoU, the SC Secretary General said: “This new MoU will provide athletes with an unparalleled educational opportunity to develop and grow their managerial skills in the sports industry. In spirit of the partnership, through Josoor Institute we will provide the athletes the opportunity to attend executive education, professional development workshops and certificate and diploma programmes that are currently being offered by Josoor Institute.”

He said: “In the build up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, we are committed to building the human capital of the sports and events industries by empowering the talents of the region and equipping them with the skillset they need to unleash their full potential and to help create a lasting legacy for the region.”

Meanwhile Dr Hassan Al Derham said: “We are pleased to contribute to building national capacities in the sports sector and to fulfilling the needs of the labour market in the field of sports. This MoU is aligned with Qatar’s continuous efforts to organise and host world sports events, and with QU’s commitment to strengthen links with local institutions to advance and support the sports sector and to provide the labour market with talented athletes based on the directive from His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the relevant parties.”

Dr Al Derham noted that this MoU will contribute to establishing a Bachelor of Sports Education at QU following approval by the Board of Regents. He also explained that a Steering Committee comprising members of the partnering institutions will establish the admission requirements for the new programme.

H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al-Thani said: “Our partnership with Qatar University will contribute to uplifting the talents of athletes while ensuring their stability on the academic and artistic levels, which will be for the benefit of their sporting club and national team. The new programme aligns with the one provided by Aspire Academy for high school students. It offers football players the opportunity to continue their education while in Qatar. It also provides talented athletes with the opportunity to join Qatar University, which is one of the leading universities in the region.”

Mohammad Khalifa Al-Suwaidi said: “This MoU will contribute to upholding the academic learning of talented athletes, especially football players, in Qatar by investing all capacities and competencies to shape a sporting generation able to promote Qatar’s reputation in world sports championships.”