Students attend showpiece conference

First year Sport Business Management undergraduates were invited to attend the recent Leisure & Fitness exchange leadership conference at Middleton Arena, Manchester.

The conference included presentations from leaders at Fitpro, Technogym and Alliance Leisure. The event provided students with the opportunity to see what current leadership thinking is in the leisure and fitness industry, but also the chance to network with sport and leisure managers.

Student Rachael Durband said: "Everyone was really welcoming and we made a lot of contacts within the industry. A couple of these have even offered us some work experience within their facilities."

The group made a big impression on the organisers, with Burnley Leisure's Neil Hutchinson commenting they had represented UCLan well and had posed some excellent questions. Rachael is pictured with Tony Majakas, Vice-President of Technogym (2nd right) and fellow students Shawn Kaseke and Sam Tompkins.

Kazan links develop

Ingrid (left) with Kazan students at Manchester City

The recent visit of staff and students from the Volga State Institute for Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism in Kazan is the result of a growing relationship between the Institute and UCLan.

This began in 2012 with joint live video lectures and seminars between UCLan's Sue Minten & Ingrid Griffiths and the Sport Management course team in Kazan.

These provided students with a fascinating insight into the similarities and differences between policy and provision for sport in the UK and Russia.

In March 2013 Sue and Ingrid were invited to Kazan to teach at the institute for a week and to view the preparations for the World Students games which Kazan hosted in summer 2013. The live videos and seminars continued into 2013/14, while there will be a return visit by UCLan Sport Business Management students later this year.

Veronica Gayvoronskaya, Volga State Institute International Coordinator, commented: "Our students said it was a marvellous experience. They were especially impressed with your multinational academic environment - such a uniting spirit."

A selection of images from Sue & Ingrid's visit to Kazan and the subsequent return trip can be viewed here.