By Afraa Al Noaimi, Executive Director, Josoor Institute

With only 15 months to go until Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup, the Josoor Institute continues to deliver on its strategic role as the education and training arm of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC).

As the tournament edges closer, we will continue to leverage Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup to build expertise in the sports and events industries to ensure the knowledge gained from staging this mega-event is passed to the next generation of professionals.

Our flagship professional diploma programmes in sports and major events management – delivered in partnership with SDA Bocconi School of Management – remain our core offering. These courses are designed to enhance the knowledge and experience of professionals who are keen to advance their careers in two ever-evolving sectors. The programmes offer a world-class learning experience, unprecedented insight into Qatar 2022 preparations and the opportunity to be part of a vibrant alumni community and professional network.

Many of our graduates are employed by the SC and its numerous stakeholders, all of who are supporting Qatar’s delivery of the FIFA World Cup. Applications for the next cohort of professional diploma programmes, that will take place from September 2021 to March 2022, are now open.

In addition to our diploma programmes, we offer an array of education and training courses in sports management, event management, leadership development, workforce and related areas to more than 4,000 participants in Qatar and around the world. Josoor Institute also runs a Knowledge Hub that hosts regular panel sessions involving leading international experts.

At the same time, our research team works to produce proprietary knowledge to improve our courses and stimulate debate among alumni, associates and other key stakeholders; and establish Qatar as a leader in the sports and events management industries. Recently, we have been conducting two crucial research projects – one of which involves tracking sports and events in Qatar, and another studying different sports institutes in the country and the MENA region.

In 2020, life as we know it came to a halt. The COVID-19 pandemic presented us with a challenge to continue the delivery of courses, and an opportunity to accelerate online offerings which was already part of our strategic development plans. Almost two years after our switch to remote learning, Josoor is proud to have delivered more than 30 courses online with overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants.

With Qatar 2022 right around the corner, Josoor Institute will prioritise the delivery of education and training to build the capacity of key groups in the industry ahead of the event and creating a lasting legacy of knowledge and expertise in Qatar and across the Middle East.