By C. Brandon Chapman, College of Education
PULLMAN, Wash. – An international expert on transparency and good governance in sport will present the College of Education’s free, public Gordon-Enberg Speaker Series at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, in Cleveland 30W at Washington State University.
Journalist Jens Sejer Andersen is a founder and director of Danish-based Play the Game (http://www.playthegame.org), an international conference and communication initiative aimed at strengthening ethics and the promotion of democracy, transparency and freedom of expression in sport.
“Andersen studies social, policy, moral and even criminal aspects of sport, yet his knowledge and wit guarantee an experience that even ‘average’ sports fans find memorable and insightful,” said Simon Licen, assistant professor in the college’s sport management program.
Andersen will discuss the need for better governance at all levels of sport and the challenges faced by the Olympics, sports movements and governments. He will speak about the typically overlooked, yet surprisingly extensive, corruption found in sports organizations.
“In the U.S. and worldwide, sport faces similar challenges: Unsustainable mega-events, doping, match manipulation, racism, various forms of abuse, and the decline in physical activity and health,” Andersen said. “They all have one common denominator: They require sport to be much better governed if we wish it to be an efficient and credible partner.
“I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to meet an American audience and discuss with students and other sports lovers how Americans can contribute to a better global sports community,” he said.
He has addressed or collaborated with several international and intergovernmental institutions including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the European Parliament and the Council of Europe.
The Gordon-Enberg Speaker Series informs students and the public about topics and issues in sport and sport management. Mary Lou Enberg and Carol Gordon taught in the then-women’s physical education department at WSU. Learn more at http://education.wsu.edu/sptmgmtspeakerseries/.
Contact:
Simon Licen, WSU College of Education, simon.licen@wsu.edu, 509-335-2154
