BODA held a seminar on Olympic legacy research on 30 December 2024, bringing together more than 20 attendees. Including experts and scholars from the seven IOC-certified Olympic Studies and Research Centres (OSRCs), namely, the School of Journalism and Communication at Beijing Sport University, Beijing Institute for International Olympic Studies, the Humanistic Olympic Studies Centre of Renmin University of China, the Institute for Olympic Art at Tsinghua University, the Institute of Olympic Studies and Research at Shanghai University of Sport, the Olympic Art and Design Research Centre at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and the Olympic Studies Centre at Harbin Institute of Technology. They were joined by representatives from Peking University, Tsinghua University and Beijing Normal University, the three university members of BODA, as well as its partner institutions. The seminar was presided over by Wang Kun, Deputy Secretary General of BODA.

(A group photo of attendees)

The experts and scholars shared information on the progress of research projects, participation in international cooperation, as well as development plans of their institutions. They also discussed relevant matters such as long-term cooperation mechanisms for Olympic studies. They agreed that this seminar is the first gathering of OSRCs in China, and it is essential to together build an exchange and cooperation platform for facilitating Olympic legacy research and deepening Olympic studies at home and abroad. As the non-profit organisational legal person tasked with carrying forward the Olympic legacy, BODA should give full play to its unique advantages and actively integrate Olympic legacy research resources to promote cooperation among OSRCs in such areas as theoretical research, academic exchanges, talent training and international exchanges, strengthen the application of Olympic legacy research findings and enhance China’s international influence in the field of Olympic studies.

(He Xinghui)

He Xinghui, professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Beijing Sport University, said that during the collaborative research with BODA, he has been impressed by the special resources and platform advantages of BODA as an Olympic legacy agency, highlighting its role in engaging with Olympic venues, conducting in-depth studies and discussions with management entities and obtaining rich and detailed first-hand information to ensure that theoretical research can produce more practical and effective outcomes.

(Zhang Baiming)

Zhang Baiming, associate professor at the Institute of Cultural Innovation and Communication, Beijing Normal University, stated that strengthening exchanges and cooperation among OSRCs will broaden information channels, give full play to the advantages of horizontal connections and bring together researchers, research resources and research findings in different fields in order to achieve more innovations and breakthroughs in research and decision consulting.

(Qi Xin)

Qi Xin, associate professor at the Department of Physical Education and Research, Peking University, suggested that we should recognise the diversified characteristics of Olympic legacy research, bring into full play the role of human resources, prioritise the development of the sports industry, and contribute to building a country strong in sports. It is recommended that BODA build a research platform, create research topics and promote cooperation among different sides to produce more research findings in such fields as economy, industry and society, thereby facilitating government decision making and supporting the high-quality development of the capital city.

(Hu Xiaoqian)

Hu Xiaoqian, associate professor at the Department of Physical Education, Tsinghua University, said that the focus of research should be on Olympic legacy management, and more international exchange opportunities should be provided for young scholars through in-depth cooperation with the IOC. As the hub for Olympic legacy research, BODA can solicit and launch various projects to underpin the role of Olympic legacy research in promoting city development.

(Liang Fang)

Liang Fang, a teacher of the Olympic Education and Cultural Promotion Office of the Beijing Institute for International Olympic Studies, stressed the need to exploit the role of BODA to establish an alliance of OSRCs and pool resources of universities and member units to strengthen research on Olympic legacy.

(Li Gen)

Li Gen, associate professor at the School of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Normal University, hoped that BODA could give full play to its role and build an Olympic legacy research platform to provide more research, learning, exchanges and internship opportunities for experts, scholars and university students.

(Qin Chuan)

Qin Chuan, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University, said that institutional construction of the Olympic studies platform should be strengthened through various methods such as setting up an expert committee, organising special research projects, developing a series of training courses, holding forums and exhibitions and convening annual conferences. These will serve to strengthen the application of Olympic legacy research findings and foster Olympic human resources.

(Zhao Linlin)

Zhao Linlin, Deputy Director of the Sporting Event Production and Broadcasting Laboratory of Beijing Sport University, pointed out that a sharing platform for Olympic legacy research findings should be established, and the information exchange mechanism should be gradually improved. In particular, universities should strengthen exchanges and cooperation when developing courses on the application of Olympic legacy research findings, so as to maximise the resource use efficiency.

(Yang Zhanwu)

Yang Zhanwu, Executive Director of the Humanistic Olympic Studies Centre, Ph.D. and associate research fellow at Renmin University of China, said that long-term cooperation mechanisms for Olympic legacy research will be conducive to building cooperation platforms, creating an enabling environment, strengthening influence and carrying forward the Olympic legacy. It is recommended that BODA take the lead in establishing an alliance composed of universities and research institutes to promote cooperation, and in launching an academic journal which will serve as a platform for Chinese scholars to publish their research findings and make more contributions to international Olympic studies.

(Li Shuwang)

Li Shuwang, Executive Director of the Humanistic Olympic Studies Centre, Director of the Sports Department, Ph.D. and professor at Renmin University of China, said that when developing an Olympic legacy research cooperation platform, we should align with the implementation of Beijing’s sports development strategy, emphasise the application of Olympic legacy research findings and promote their uptake.

(Chang Jiang)

Chang Jiang, Deputy Director of the Olympic Studies Centre at Harbin Institute of Technology, said that OSRCs should give full play to their own characteristics and advantages to establish a research alliance and a regular communication mechanism, so as to better share resources and create an Olympic studies brand with global influence.

(Qiao Yi)

Qiao Yi, Director of the Student Work Office of the School of Journalism and Communication, Shanghai University of Sport, suggested that OSRCs hold joint meetings or thematic forums on a regular basis that welcome the participation of more scholars, develop creative ideas and share resources to form a virtuous cycle of development.

(Liang Xia)

Liang Xia, research project manager of the Olympic Art and Design Research Centre at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, said that OSRCs should build a cooperation platform, fully leverage their respective characteristics and draw upon each other’s concepts and practices to provide strong support for future event services and talent training.