Sport and Education Program 2025 concludes successfully
The second cycle of the “Sport and Education Program: From Ancient Olympia to the Present” was held at the International Olympic Academy (IOA) from July 7 to July 11, 2025. Building on its successful inaugural implementation in 2024, this program is the result of over a decade of collaboration between the Center for Hellenic Studies (CHS) and the IOA. The 2025 program was organized in collaboration with Harvard Athletics, the University of Patras, and the Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sport at the University of Texas at Austin. Additional support was provided by Harvard’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and the AEGEAS Non-Profit Civil Company, and the program was offered under the auspices of the General Secretariat of Sport, Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Hellenic Republic.
Charles Stocking, Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Education and Associate of Harvard’s Center for Hellenic Studies, served as the program’s academic director. Faculty members included Heather Reid (Exedra Mediterranean Center), Georgios Mouratidis (British School at Athens), Jaime Schultz (Pennsylvania State University), while special guest speakers included George Mavrotas (Secretary General of Sports, Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, Hellenic Republic, Associate Professor at the National Technical University of Athens, and Former Captain of the Greek Water Polo Team), Mark Schiefsky (Director of the Center for Hellenic Studies and C. Lois P. Grove Professor of the Classics at Harvard), Erin West (Assistant Director of Athletics for Student-Athlete Development and Academic Integration at Harvard), and Tara Cunningham (American Olympic weightlifter who represented the United States in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games).
The Sport and Education Program aims to address the gap between sport and education, viewing them as two sides of a spectrum. It emphasizes the role sport played in shaping ancient models of knowledge, particularly the ancient athletic-knowledge complex, known as paideia, that served as a model for modern universities and professional sports. The program uses an innovative educational method, combining limited preliminary readings with small group seminars designed to prioritize dialogue, and faculty-led sessions at the local site of Ancient Olympia and its two museums.
The 2025 program welcomed 43 undergraduate and postgraduate students with a demonstrated affiliation with athletics, either by practicing a sport or by having dedicated part of their research to relevant fields. Participants ranged in age from 19 to 33 and represented various academic backgrounds, including classics, physical education, engineering, finance, biology, and management. This diversity enriched the seminar discussions and fostered dynamic out-of-class interactions, making for a lively and productive educational environment. The students attended intensive daily seminars, complemented by experiential learning sessions at the archaeological site and museums. Group meals, leisure time, and sports activities at the IOA’s facilities cultivated a strong sense of community.
Most students came from a wide range of Greek universities, including (in alphabetical order): Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Democritus University of Thrace, Hellenic Open University, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panteion University, and the Universities of Crete, Patras, Peloponnese, Piraeus, Thessaly, West Attica, and Western Macedonia. The program also welcomed six Harvard students, two students from Dartmouth College, four students from the Pennsylvania State University, and one student from the University of Texas at Austin.
Our Center, in partnership with the Harvard Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, provided substantial funding for five Harvard undergraduate student-athletes. This initiative strengthens our connection with Harvard Athletics and reaffirms the opportunity for Harvard student-athletes to participate in this innovative study-abroad program.
CHS and IOA would like to thank the participants for their active engagement, as well as the contributing institutions, all faculty members, the Secretary General of Sports, our guests, and sports professionals for their invaluable collaboration. The organizers are already planning the Sport and Education Program 2026, with announcements forthcoming during the new academic year.