National Sport Day (NSD) provides a reminder of the marked impact that sport is having on society and developing the human capital to sustain this direction is a major goal of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), a Qatar Foundation member.
Research and graduate programmes at the College of Science and Engineering (CSE), College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), and across HBKU, are unique in the region and their goals align with the national vision for sport as being a key driver for Qatar’s economic diversification and social, human, and environmental development.
CSE’s Master of Science in Sport and Entertainment Management (MSEM), a joint degree with the University of South Carolina, supports the development of Qatar’s sport industry by qualifying professionals to take up management and leadership roles. The programme trains students in skills and experiences covering the legal, financial, operational, and management aspects of the sport and entertainment industries, including potential growth areas such as esports.
Faculty and students work closely with industry partners such as the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Josoor Institute, Generation Amazing, Qatar Olympic Committee, and Qatar Sports Technology on applied research.
Dr Kamilla Swart-Arries, associate professor and director of the MSEM, said: “Our students have demonstrated this through their commitment to various initiatives. These include volunteering as coaches for Generation Amazing programmes and at the FIFA Arab Cup, conducting research in collaboration with Education City Golf Club to enhance sustainability practices at the CBQ Masters 2021, and interning at sKora, a Qatar Science and Technology Park-funded sportstech startup.”
Dr Jens Schneider, assistant professor at CSE, is collaborating with sKora to democratise the sport agent market.
“Worldwide, around 200mn aspiring players compete for only 200,000 professional positions across all leagues and divisions. The idea is to use modern data analytics to match player profiles to opportunities such as free training or soccer schools. To this end, sKora has created the largest transfer market database in the world. We are now in the process of developing semi-automatic tools to generate databases of opportunities for aspiring players,” says Dr Schneider.
Another applied research project is an AI-based sports analytics model developed by Jassim al-Mulla, a Qatari PhD student, and his supervisor, Dr Tanvir Alam, assistant professor in the Information and Computing Technology Division. The model analyses and recommends key performance metrics for football players in the Qatar Stars League to improve their chance of winning matches.
Dr Alam explains, “Utilising such models at grassroots level will help coaches identify local talent. Young players can discover their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. The proposed machine learning model will support professional players, coaching staff, and team managers in Qatar with specific performance metrics that may win a match in the upcoming FIFA World Cup. ”
Meanwhile, CHLS’ programme in Exercise Science is developing knowledge towards achieving health benefits for individuals to sustain their physical and mental health.
Through the internationally competitive Master of Science (MS) in Exercise Science, graduates develop knowledge and skills to be ambassadors for healthy lifestyle habits, through research and within the community. The MS is a joint degree with the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina - the top-ranked US university in the Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments.
Dr Merilyn Jean Lock, post-doctoral researcher at CHLS, explains: “While sport and performance are interesting and important areas, our students also develop an understanding that you don’t need to be an athlete to be active. It is well-established that being physically active plays a critical role in maintaining good physical and mental health, but poor lifestyle factors are contributing to rising incidences of chronic non-communicable diseases that are largely preventable.”
In March 2023, HBKU, with Qatar University, will bring experts and practitioners together for the World Association of Sport Management Conference.
Dr Swart-Arries, conference co-chair, says: “The theme “Bringing the World Together: Global and Local Perspectives on Sport Management” underscores our resolve to use sport as a catalyst for meaningful change. Working in the industry requires a specific skill set and given Qatar’s positioning as a major international sporting hub, HBKU is committed to developing the education of future leaders and managers within the sport industry.”
CSE’s Master of Science in Sport and Entertainment Management (MSEM), a joint degree with the University of South Carolina, supports the development of Qatar’s sport industry by qualifying professionals to take up management and leadership roles. The programme trains students in skills and experiences covering the legal, financial, operational, and management aspects of the sport and entertainment industries, including potential growth areas such as esports.
Faculty and students work closely with industry partners such as the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Josoor Institute, Generation Amazing, Qatar Olympic Committee, and Qatar Sports Technology on applied research.
Dr Kamilla Swart-Arries, associate professor and director of the MSEM, said: “Our students have demonstrated this through their commitment to various initiatives. These include volunteering as coaches for Generation Amazing programmes and at the FIFA Arab Cup, conducting research in collaboration with Education City Golf Club to enhance sustainability practices at the CBQ Masters 2021, and interning at sKora, a Qatar Science and Technology Park-funded sportstech startup.”
Dr Jens Schneider, assistant professor at CSE, is collaborating with sKora to democratise the sport agent market.
“Worldwide, around 200mn aspiring players compete for only 200,000 professional positions across all leagues and divisions. The idea is to use modern data analytics to match player profiles to opportunities such as free training or soccer schools. To this end, sKora has created the largest transfer market database in the world. We are now in the process of developing semi-automatic tools to generate databases of opportunities for aspiring players,” says Dr Schneider.
Another applied research project is an AI-based sports analytics model developed by Jassim al-Mulla, a Qatari PhD student, and his supervisor, Dr Tanvir Alam, assistant professor in the Information and Computing Technology Division. The model analyses and recommends key performance metrics for football players in the Qatar Stars League to improve their chance of winning matches.
Dr Alam explains, “Utilising such models at grassroots level will help coaches identify local talent. Young players can discover their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. The proposed machine learning model will support professional players, coaching staff, and team managers in Qatar with specific performance metrics that may win a match in the upcoming FIFA World Cup. ”
Meanwhile, CHLS’ programme in Exercise Science is developing knowledge towards achieving health benefits for individuals to sustain their physical and mental health.
Through the internationally competitive Master of Science (MS) in Exercise Science, graduates develop knowledge and skills to be ambassadors for healthy lifestyle habits, through research and within the community. The MS is a joint degree with the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina - the top-ranked US university in the Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments.
Dr Merilyn Jean Lock, post-doctoral researcher at CHLS, explains: “While sport and performance are interesting and important areas, our students also develop an understanding that you don’t need to be an athlete to be active. It is well-established that being physically active plays a critical role in maintaining good physical and mental health, but poor lifestyle factors are contributing to rising incidences of chronic non-communicable diseases that are largely preventable.”
In March 2023, HBKU, with Qatar University, will bring experts and practitioners together for the World Association of Sport Management Conference.
Dr Swart-Arries, conference co-chair, says: “The theme “Bringing the World Together: Global and Local Perspectives on Sport Management” underscores our resolve to use sport as a catalyst for meaningful change. Working in the industry requires a specific skill set and given Qatar’s positioning as a major international sporting hub, HBKU is committed to developing the education of future leaders and managers within the sport industry.”