SSC Partners With The University Of Oregon To Boost Local Sports Industry

SSC Partners With The University Of Oregon To Boost Local Sports Industry

SSC Embarks on Five-Year Collaboration with University Of Oregon on Capability Development and Strategic Partnerships

Singapore, 15 December 2011 - From Olympic medalists to founders of one of the world's most popular sports brand, the University of Oregon (UO) has them all. With a rich history in sports excellence and a leading role in the discipline of sports business, it is befitting that the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) has embarked on a five-year partnership with the University to further boost Singapore's local sports industry.

2. The partnership with UO will aid in strengthening the skill set of Singapore's present and future sports leaders. It will also enable a more vibrant sports industry that in turn will contribute to the economy and sustain the sports delivery system. Championing this collaboration, Mr Richard Seow, Chairman of the SSC, and UO alumni said, "Through the MOU with the University of Oregon, Singapore has a great opportunity to improve the capabilities of our sports professionals working within the sporting industry. This MOU is very timely as Singapore embarks on a new phase for growth in the sporting sector."

3. The partnership with UO will enhance Singapore's sports industry by increasing the standards and expertise found in our value chain - of people, infrastructure, services and products. "With the construction of the Sports Hub well underway, we need to focus our efforts on developing the capabilities of our leaders in sports business and administration. As our events calendar accelerates with the opening of the Sports Hub, this group of professionals will align business realities and demands with the comprehensive recommendations from the Vision 2030 project," added Mr Seow.

4 The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which was inked today between SSC's CEO, Mr Lim Teck Yin and UO's representative, Mr Paul Swangard, Managing Director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Centre, aims to nurture a mutually beneficial partnership between the two organisations, specifically focusing on three main areas of collaboration:

• Providing local sports leaders with learning opportunities in the 'TrackTown USA' sporting culture at the University of Oregon

• Connecting local students to sports-related education and industry experience in Oregon;

• Giving UO graduate students the opportunity to work with SSC and local industry partners.

Local Sports Leaders to be Exposed to Oregon's Sports Culture

5. Oregon is home to some of the biggest players in the business of sports, the athletes at UO are regular features at the Olympics and World Championships, and the residents are ardent fans who come out in full force to support their sports teams. The sports culture and love for sports in Oregon is one that can be compared to few others in the United States.

6. This MOU opens up the doorway for the SSC to learn and identify just how, and what it takes to build and sustain such excitement for sports. UO will assist in facilitating meetings and engagements between delegates from the SSC and leading entities within UO and its partners in the global sports industry network. This includes companies dealing with sports properties, marketing, products, apparel and the media.

7. Mr Lim Teck Yin, CEO of the SSC, said, "The training and development of world-class personnel is going to be important to the evolution of Singapore's sports scene. UO has a mature sports industry and culture, as evidenced through the extraordinary reach of both the TrackTown USA brand and the Oregon Ducks brand. This partnership will no doubt infuse more energy, efficiency and innovation in the development of our sports industry."

Education and Industry Experience for Singaporean Students and Athletes

8. "As Singapore's sports industry continues to grow, we need to create a pipeline of trained experts who are able to add value and continue to expand our businesses," said Mr Lim. "With the Warsaw Sports Marketing Centre at UO running the country's premier sports business programme, and with a highly regarded sports science faculty, UO is a perfect training ground at which to nurture the sports leaders and visionaries of tomorrow."

9. This MOU allows both parties to connect Singaporean students with educational and internship opportunities on the UO campus or with industry partners at an undergraduate, graduate or PHD level. The first batch of students from Singapore could be heading to UO as early as June next year.

10. Mr Paul Swangard, Managing Director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Centre said, "Sport is in the University of Oregon's DNA. We are honored and excited to be partnering with the SSC to share our expertise and connections with the emerging sport community. Our sincere hope is to help accelerate the development of the sport market in Singapore by providing the SSC and its partners with the knowledge capital and human capital it needs to fuel that growth."

UO Graduate Students to Work with the SSC and Industry Partners

11. Recognising the enormous potential for growth within Singapore's sports industry, UO is keen to send graduate students to Singapore on various programmes to explore the opportunities for collaboration, and implement sports initiatives.

12. From as early as June 2012, this collaboration expects to see a group of three to four students from UO's graduate programme arrive in Singapore for a 10-week internship, where they will collaborate with the SSC in areas such as athlete marketing, spectatorship, and other areas relevant to Singapore's sports development.

13. On his hopes for the benefits this MOU will bring to Singapore, Mr Seow said, "Building and strengthening the skills in the sports sector will enable a more sustainable and vibrant sports eco-system. We expect that this collaboration with UO will yield results that pave the way for better careers and higher standards of professionalism in Singapore sports."

Annex A: University of Oregon Fact Sheet

Celebrating its 128th anniversary, the University of Oregon has welcomed six generations of outstanding leaders since opening in 1876. Today's students, like the nearly 200,000 alumni before them, have access to the most current knowledge in classes, as well as laboratories and seminars conducted by leading researchers.

Ranked 15th in the country among public universities and sixth among "rising" public universities, the university is regarded as one of the "best buys" in higher education for its high quality and affordability. Two UO graduates are Nobel Prize honourees, nine have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 18 have been named Rhodes Scholars.

UO students select courses from departments and programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, six professional schools and colleges and the Graduate School. More than 1,500 teaching and research faculty and 1,300 graduate teaching and research assistants serve as mentors, colleagues and friends to the more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at UO.

A group of Lane County farmers and merchants donated their crops and wares to erect Deady Hall, the first UO structure, and to pay professors' salaries. Railroad magnate Henry Villard contributed funds to complete it. The second building on campus was constructed with public funds and named in Villard's honour. Designated National Historic Landmarks by the federal government, both still grace the campus. Today, the university's physical plant consists of 336 structures on and off campus and is valued at more than $312 million.

The 295-acre Eugene campus is the state's centre of liberal arts and sciences education, as well as one of the nation's best teaching and research institutions. Professional schools in architecture, business, education, journalism and communication, law and music complete the broad range of course offerings, with degrees awarded in more than 121 majors.

University science departments are winning national attention in biomechanics, computers, genetics, lasers, neuroscience and nanotechnology.

The Lundquist College of Business has developed a major new emphasis in entrepreneurship and sports marketing, and the College of Education, one of the best such programs in the nation, is home to a nationally recognized Institute on Violence and Destructive Behaviour.

Among the Graduate School's many institutes and research centres are the internationally recognized Institute of Molecular Biology, the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology on the southern Oregon coast and the International Institute for Sport and Human Performance.

Even as UO's academic and research programs grow, so does the university's representation of and commitment to diversity. Students of colour constitute about 13 percent of the student body, and the university promotes increased diversity through such programs as the Office of Multicultural Affairs, which provides academic and support services to minority students; the Associated Students of the University of Oregon Multicultural Centre; and various initiatives, such as establishment of the Ethnic Studies Program. About 1,400 international students from nearly 80 countries represent about 7 percent of the student body.

To learn more about the University of Oregon and how it is transforming lives, please visit www.uoregon.edu.

The university's seven professional schools and colleges offer programs that provide training to meet specific career goals. However, all programs require a substantial number of liberal arts courses in the College of Arts and Sciences to ensure a well-balanced education.

The College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences house the state's only honours college, bringing together some of the most promising students and specially selected faculty members in a challenging academic program with carefully designed small classes and close advising.

Many of the college's departments enjoy national acclaim, including high rankings for the psychology curriculum and the forensics program. The National Science Foundation designated UO as one of the three original centres of excellence in Science.

The College also offers preparatory programs for the advanced study of engineering and law and health related fields such as dentistry, medicine and pharmacology.

Charles H. Lundquist College of Business of Business
The Charles H. Lundquist College of Business undergraduate program ranks 40th among all public universities in the nation, and the Master's programs in business (MBA) rank in the top 10 percent of accredited programs in the U.S.

College of Education
The College of Education offers primarily graduate-level training programs. Currently, Educational studies and a fifth-year secondary school licensure program are the only undergraduate majors. Its special education and graduate programs are nationally ranked, and a graduate program in athletic medicine and training is one of the most popular in the region.

School of Architecture and Allied Arts
The School of Architecture and Allied Arts has one of the nation's strongest programs in energy-conscious design and housing research and an interior architecture programs regarded among the top three in the United States.

One of only 80 universities nationwide whose journalism programs are recognized by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, Oregon is the only institution in the western United States and one of seven in the country accredited in five professional media specializations.

School of Law
The School of Law has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1919 and was approved by the American Bar Association in 1923. It has a three-year postgraduate program leading to a doctorate degree in jurisprudence.

School of Music
The School of Music is the largest professional music school in the Pacific Northwest and one of the most significant in the western U.S. The school has more than 20 performing groups, ranging from a symphonic orchestra to a gospel choir.

Campus Profile
The Oregon University System publishes data based on the fourth week of enrollment of each fall term. This data is based on fall term 2011. New data will be available in November 2012.

Enrollment

• Total - 24,447

• Undergraduates - 20,631

• Graduates - 3,816

• Full-time - 21,896

• Part-time - 2,551

Most popular majors among undergraduates:

Accounting, Advertising, Anthropology, Architecture, Art, Biology, Business administration, Computer and information science, Economics, Education, English, Environmental science, Environmental studies, History, Human physiology, Journalism, Mathematics, Political science, Psychology, Public relations, Sociology

2010-11 Bachelor's degrees - 3,927

Proportion of UO graduates employed or continuing their education within six months after graduation - 80%

Division 1 Athletics PAC-12 Conference

Men's Sports
Baseball, Basketball, Cross country, Football, Golf, Tennis, Track and field

Women's Sports
Acrobatics & Tumbling, Basketball, Cross country, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track and field, Volleyball

Club Sports

• Archery

• Badminton

• Baseball

• Bass Fishing

• Bowling

• Climbing

• Crew

• Cricket

• Cycling

• Dance

• Disc golf

• Equestrian

• Fencing

• Golf

• Ice hockey

• Jiu jitsu

• Juggling

• Kendo

• Lacrosse

• Mountain biking

• Nordic ski

• Racquetball

• Ranger challenge

• Rugby

• Running

• Sailing

• Scuba

• Skiing (Alpine)

• Snowboarding

• Soccer

• Softball

• Surfing

• Swimming

• Table Tennis

• Tennis

• Triathlon

• Ultimate

• Volleyball

• Waterpolo

• Waterski-Wakeboard

• Wushu

Annex B: Profile of Paul Swangard

Paul Swangard is the Woodard Family Foundation Sports Business Fellow and the Managing Director of the James H. Warsaw Sports Marketing Centre. Since 2001, he has led the day-to-day operations of the internationally recognised center. He teaches both at the undergraduate and graduate level and serves as one of the centre's primary industry analysts on sports business issues.

His comments on the industry have appeared in numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today along with appearances on ABC's Nightline, ESPN's Outside the Lines, CNBC's Power Lunch and NBC's Olympic Games coverage. In addition to numerous consulting projects with leading sports firms including EA Sports and Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Swangard is a frequent guest speaker and lecturer who has taught courses in both Europe and Asia including Executive Education programs for the Chinese Olympic Committee.

Prior to the Warsaw Centre, Swangard was an award-winning sports journalist and freelance broadcaster. He is also considered as one of the United State's top track and field public address announcers having called dozens of major meets including the US Track and Field Indoor and Outdoor Championships, the Millrose games, Prefontaine Classic (IAAF Samsung Diamond League), adidas Grand Prix (IAAF Samsung Diamond League) and the USA Olympic Track and Field trials. A Eugene native, Swangard received his bachelors in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Oregon in 1990 and his MBA with a concentration in Sports Business from the University of Oregon in 1999.