The FIFA Master is a unique 10-month sport (and not solely football...) Master programme, initiated by FIFA, coordinated by CIES, and taught by three prestigious European universities: De Montfort University (Leicester, UK), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan, IT) and Neuchatel University (Neuchatel, CH), in association with the Università della Svizzera italiana.
What is your current professional activity and your involvement in sport?
I am looking for a job in the sports business.
Why did you choose to attend the FIFA/CIES Sport Management Program at Bahcesehir University?
Because FIFA is the top organization in the world as far as football concerned, and BU is also one of the best universities in Turkey so I did not even hesitate - even for one second - to be a part of this program, so that I could acquire a good position in the sports business.
What were your expectations before the start of the course? and… were they met?
Some of my expectations were meeting famous people in sports in Turkey, especially in football, finding out new things that I did not know before starting this program and getting informed about how FIFA and its bodies work The program helped fulfil my expectations.
What would you say are the key strengths of the FIFA/CIES Sport Management Programme?
The name of FIFA of course, whoever hears this name starts to show you respect from the first second of your connection and the high quality of our lecturers and coordinators.
What benefits (on a personal and/or professional level) did you gain from attending the course?
I met a lot of people and found out a lot about FIFA, especially about how the legal bodies of FIFA work.
What is your best memory/highlight of the course?
The visits of FIFA/CIES old and new presidents to our university and our trips to famous football clubs and big companies which work in the sport business.
Would you recommend the FIFA/CIES Sport Management Program? Why?
We were the first students of this program in Turkey, normally there were some pros and cons but yes I highly recommend people to participate in this program. I will keep my eye on the upcoming programs of BU with FIFA and try my best to visit them from time to time. The people who would like to be professional about football, should start from the most important part, i.e. the regulations, provisions and bodies etc. of FIFA. And lastly, for those who would like to get to know football celebrities in Turkey this program is a must.
CIES (International Centre for Sports Studies), located in Neuchatel, is a private Swiss foundation, affiliated with the University of Neuchatel and created in 1995 by FIFA (under the impetus of its current president, Mr. Joseph S. Blatter), the University of Neuchatel, and the City and Canton of Neuchatel.
CIES specialises in three specific domains: law, sociology and economy of sport, with a view to bring together the sporting and the academic worlds. Privileging a pluri-disciplinary approach, CIES provides a wide range of research, education and consultancy services.