CIVICA students convening for the European Week in Milan

28-04-2022

Bocconi, Sciences Po, SSE and LSE launch the second edition of the European Week, this year dedicated to sport and social impact.

Sport is an essential part of the European identity, fostering integrity, inclusion and social cohesion as well as a shared sense of belonging, but it is also an integral part of the economy, employing many European citizens. With this mind, the second edition of the European Week, on 20-24 June, will focus on the topic of sport and its social impact with the active participation of students from the CIVICA network.

The initiative is part of the CIVICA Engage Track, which offers various formats, including the European Week, to bachelor students interested in developing their commitment to civic issues and exploring topics like responsibility and sustainability.

“In general, the European Week condenses in one week many aspects and values of CIVICA – it is a European programme combining education, international exposure and promoting social engagement,” says Prof. Carlo Altomonte, academic director of the CIVICA Engage Track at Bocconi. “And like in Europe in general, from the exchange with different experiences you learn and enrich yourself.”

This second edition of the CIVICA European Week will take place on 20-24 June and will be hosted at Bocconi on the topic ‘Sport and Social Impact’. It will see the participation of students from Bocconi, Sciences Po, Stockholm School of Economics and The London School of Economics & Political Science.

The week will see a mix of academic content with opportunities to actively engage and interact with local organisations and sports clubs, participate in hands-on projects and give participants the chance to share experiences and thoughts with other CIVICA Engage students. In particular, this edition aims to raise students’ understanding and awareness of the pivotal role of sport and of its social impact on individuals, communities and society as a whole.

“The aim is to highlight the power of sport in fostering and improving social development and advancement both at the individual and community level, while also understanding the important dynamics of sports business and management,” says Altomonte. “Since Milan is also hosting the next Winter Olympics we felt it was a good context in which to highlight all these important aspects.”

“On the social level, sport is important under various aspects. It is an occasion to improve one’s cultural development, improving your resilience and personal growth,” highlights Altomonte. “It is also important for the theme of inclusion, as a vehicle for promoting equal opportunities and to increase cohesion and tolerance in society. And it is also important for social mobility – on the pitch we are all equal, irrespectively of our backgrounds.”

The European Week will see Dino Ruta, Professor of Sports Business & Management at Bocconi, as academic coordinator, and it will make extensive use of Bocconi’s new state-of-the-art Sports Centre that was opened last September. The centre includes an Olympic-size pool, a 3,500sqm fitness club and a multifunctional sports arena for basketball, volleyball and football.

Written by Tomaso Eridani (Bocconi University)

^{Photo credit: Bocconi University}