Collaborative Partnership Announced with Autonomous University of Barcelona and University of Paris 3

 The USC Annenberg Institute of Sports, Media and Society has joined in a collaborative partnership with the Autonomous University of Barcelona’s Centre d’Estudis Olimpics and the University of Paris 3 to pursue international research and educational intiatives in sports studies.

Scholars from each university gathered at the Autonomous University of Barcelona October 15-18, 2013 to present research on sports spaces and to discuss opportunities for collaborative work in a variety of sports studies

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Daniel Durbin, Director of the USC AISMS, Emilio Fernandez Pena, Director of the Centre d’Estudis Olimpics, and Yann Descamps, Representative of the University of Paris 3, agreed to explore avenues of research, publication, and programs for future collaboration.  Among the first steps taken, USC and the University of Paris 3 will schedule international class sessions in which scholars from Paris will be skyped into USC Annenberg classes to discuss current issues in sports and sports media.  Also, scholars from the University of Paris 3 and the Autonomous University of Barcelona will travel to Los Angeles in February of 2014 to take part in the USC Annenberg Institute of Sports, Media and Society’s spring Conference on Sports.

The relationships that have led to this partnership have been developing for several years and have resulted in collaborative programs at USC and in Paris and Barcelona during the last three years.  These programs have brought together many of the most respected scholars of sports studies in Europe and the United States.

 This partnership marks a significant step forward for the USC AISMS as the Institute seeks to expand the academic discussion of important issues of sports on an international stage.