Gwangju 2015 legacy programme announces this year’s Dream Together Master scholarship winners

SEOUL — With the expressed goal to promote sport development through identifying and training emerging global sports leaders, two FISU candidates were selected as this year’s Dream Together Master scholarship winners from Seoul National University’s Global Sport Management Graduate Program. 

Chidiebere Ezeani of Nigeria and Razif Sazali of Malaysia were awarded scholarships, the sixth edition of the Dream Together Master programme.

Ezeani, a mass communication undergraduate and FISU Young Reporters Programme alumni from Gwangju 2015, will be returning to South Korea with an expressed interest to build her acumen as both a journalist and sports administrator. 

“As a practicing journalist who is attached to the Nigeria University Games Association I believe I am well aware of the gap that needs filling in the development of sports in Nigeria,” said Ezeani. 

“The African continent is laden with superior sports talents,” Ezeani added. “The passion for school sports cannot be rivaled as it’s in its rawest form.”

Sazali, who has an undergraduate in sports management, grew up a tenpin bowler that captained his university bowling team. His sporting palmares includes winning gold at the Asian University Bowling Championship. It was during a semester studying abroad in South Korea that Sazali’s interest in joining the Seoul National University’s graduate programme in sports management arose. 

“This programme enables me to enhance my knowledge about the development of sports,” said Sazili. “I like the idea of a diplomacy relationship between Koreans and Malaysians, in hopes to improve the sports industry. Definitely, it is my passion to be involved in sports development focusing on youth and national athletes.”

It has been six years since the launch of the Dream Together Scholarship in 2013, a global sport development initiative that began as a legacy outcome of Gwangju’s awarding of Summer Universiade 2015. 

“Contemporary sport has made great progress. Still, many nations have yet to maximize the full potential of sport in changing life and society, said Dr. Joon-ho Kang, Dream Together Master director and lead professor. “We believe that the best way to promote sport development in the world is to identify, train, and connect the next generation sport administrators who will provide global leadership.”

Added Dr. Kang: “By joining the Dream Together Master programme, students will acquire the knowledge and skills to become global sport leaders through our world-class faculty members who have abundant expertise in the field of sport management. Students will gain a powerful alumni network that extends around the globe. In the near future, we expect students to become active leaders who promote international sport development.”

The Dream Together Master programme’s curriculum covers a range of 30 topics, tailored to help students stay relevant in the industry and reach their full potential as sports administrators. Dream Together offers a full scholarship that covers students’ tuition, living expenses and flight tickets. Applications opened in January 2019 for the candidates of the 2019-2021 class.