CIVICA students focused on sports and its social impact during the European Week at Bocconi

30-06-2022

Students from Bocconi, Sciences Po, SSE and LSE gathered in Milan on the topic of sports and social inclusion.

Students from across the CIVICA alliance came together for one week to learn more about the social and business impact of sports in the European Week 2022. 40 students from Bocconi, Sciences Po, Stockholm School of Economics and London School of Economics spent one week on the Bocconi campus in Milan for a series of lessons, meetings, visits and projects on the topic ‘Sport and Social Impact’.

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

“The fil rouge of the five days was represented by the idea of sports as a driver of a healthy lifestyle and promoter of integrity, social cohesion and a shared sense of belonging. Sport is in fact an essential part of the European identity and economy,” says Dino Ruta, Professor of Sports Business and Management at Bocconi and academic coordinator of this edition of the European Week. “In order to better understand and foster the pivotal role of sport and its social impact on individuals, communities and society, the opportunity aimed to raise students’ understanding regarding the entire sport industry and its unique features.”

During an intense week, students engaged in lessons, visited and had a meeting with the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, responsible for the organisation of the next Winter Olympics, had the chance to participate at the Global Policy Forum hosted on campus, attended the session on refugees with keynote speaker Filippo Grandi (UN High Commissioner for Refugees), and visited the world-famous San Siro football stadium. They also enjoyed some active sport in Bocconi’s new Sports Centre, which includes an Olympic-size pool and a court for ball sports.

“The programme focused on a complex investigation of the social impacts of sport - including learning howsport can promote social cohesion, encourage diversity and inclusion, help young people in the orientation of their professional careers and thus how sport is an essential part of the European identity,” says Ruta.

The hands-on side of the European Week saw the students meet with sports organisations and institutions working with sport, and then work on some group projects. With Inter Campus, they learnt about the social projects promoted by Inter FC around the world, which use football as an educational tool and, in teams, were assigned tasks to come up with a social project to implement in a country of choice. With Fondazione Alessio Tavecchio, they had the chance to learn about its projects to include people with disabilities in sports and then worked on their own projects to promote ‘Sports without barriers’. Bosch illustrated to the students their ‘Allenarsi per il futuro’ (Training for the Future) project, which aims to orient young people to their job future with soft skills and guidance paths through the method of sports and then assigned them projects using different sports as a driver.

“The programme was conceived for everyone and not just those that would want to work in the sports industry. Sport is a universal language and knowing its characteristics and powerful impacts can enable positive changes in society,” concludes Ruta. “Five intense and immersive days and an international class that shared personal and professional insights was a perfect mix for a memorable 'sporting' experience."

“It was a great experience for the whole Bocconi community to host the first on-site European Week of the CIVICA Engage Track and everyone involved experienced first-hand what the program is all about: inclusivity, diversity and social engagement, within a world class learning environment,” comments Carlo Altomonte, Professor and academic director of the CIVICA Engage Track at Bocconi. “The theme of the European Week, sport and inclusion, allowed the group of international students to learn how sport can be used as an important vehicle for social development, and they were also able to practice it within our new on-campus sport facilities.”

Written by Tomaso Eridani (Bocconi University)

^{Photo credits: Bocconi University}