The Centre for Culture, Sport & Events (CCSE) recently welcomed a group of students from North Carolina State University (NCSU) as part of the Shelton Leadership Center’s unique 10-week Global Leadership Minor, operated out of the NC State Center for European Studies in Prague.

This 2-week course, the third of four courses spanning four countries, included an enriching visit to Glasgow that focused on Organisational Leadership in Sport, Tourism and Event Management. Over the course of their two week stay, the students immersed themselves in both academic study on campus and hands-on experiences with key industry partners across Scotland. In their second week, NCSU and UWS students learnt together, culminating in joint final day presentations to industry experts.

The visit, which reinforced the relationship between UWS and NCSU, saw students engaging with a range of high-profile organisations, including Glasgow Life, The British Council, Edinburgh International Conference & Exhibition Centre, VisitScotland, EventScotland, Spirit of 2012, the Burrell Collection, the Cockburn Association, St Mirren FC, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, the Caledonia Gladiators, the Scottish Event Campus and Future Paisley. These visits provided valuable insight into Scotland’s dynamic sports, tourism, and events industries.

Anna Tlamichova, Student Affairs and Academic Coordinator at NC State Prague, accompanied the students on this immersive experience. Anna has been with NC State Prague since September 2017 and her support and guidance were instrumental in ensuring the students had a meaningful and well-organised experience in Scotland.

It has been fantastic to host our colleagues from NCSU and provide them with a real-world understanding of how sport, tourism, and events are led and managed here in Scotland. These kinds of partnerships are invaluable for both our institutions and the students involved.

Professor David McGillivray, Centre for Culture, Sport and Events (CCSE)

The collaboration between NCSU and CCSE has been growing in recent years, particularly through joint research projects such as EventRights, which examined the intersection of sports events and human rights.

This opportunity has given our students an incredible, first-hand perspective on the complexities of sport, tourism and event leadership and management in an international context. The knowledge they have gained at UWS and through site visits will undoubtedly benefit their future careers.

Professor Jason Bocarro, NCSU, who joined the students on the trip.

Throughout the two weeks, the NCSU students also collaborated closely with our own students, allowing for cross-cultural exchange and shared learning. Fiona Finchem, from NCSU, shared her experience: “I’ve absolutely loved my time visiting UWS. The mix of classroom learning and site visits has given me a much deeper appreciation of how sport, tourism, and events work in practice. Scotland has been an amazing place to study!”

The visit marks yet another successful collaboration between UWS and NCSU, strengthening international partnerships and enriching the student experience on both sides of the Atlantic. With more joint research initiatives in the pipeline, the relationship between the two universities looks set to grow even stronger in the years to come.