A West Virginia University faculty member will help strengthen strategic alliances with Africa through sport management.
Dr. Floyd Jones, an associate professor in WVU’s College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, will serve as the keynote speaker at the first National Conference of the African Sport Management Association to be held in Uganda, Dec. 2-4.
“This is a tremendous honor and challenge. I feel very fortunate to have been selected. The growth now seen in Africa, particularly around sports, is just phenomenal,” Jones said.
Jones has established bonds with numerous countries on the continent. He participated in the creation of the ASMA and served as a delegate to the International Society for Comparative Physical Education and Sports conference at Kenyatta University in Kenya.
“The opportunity to create faculty academic exchanges, student study abroad opportunities, scholarship and joint research projects and student recruitment is tremendous. This fits directly into our University’s strategic initiative, and meets the goals of the University’s African initiative,” Jones said.
As part of the University’s strategic plan to further internationalize its programs, the College has created a Ghana study abroad opportunity for sport management students. A trip in March 2012 will allow participants to engage in a service learning program to help fellow Ghanaian students design and manage small, community-based sport clubs.
The activities will set the stage for long term involvement between WVU sport management and international students in on-going service learning and research related projects. CPASS students will experience a global perspective of sport and sport management, while spending 10 days traveling and learning about the culture of this African country.
The students will focus on how sport in Africa can be used to deal with the persistent issues of poverty, lack of education and the inequalities that exist for women in sport. The Ghana study abroad program is led by Jones and Dr. Nicholas D. Bowman, WVU Communications Studies.
The formation of ASMA is another step forward in Africa’s sports and sport management globalization. According to Jones, the group is committed to promoting and strengthening sports management education, research and practice on the African continent, as well as initiating and nurturing collaborations with the other continental sports management associations.
—WVU—
11/18/11
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CONTACT: Kimberly Cameon, CPASS
304-293-0827, Kimberly.Cameon@mail.wvu.edu