Chris Kennett opens with a conference the PhD program in Sport Sciences
The value of research in sport was the focus of the opening conference for the 2023-24 academic year of the UAB PhD program in Sport Sciences held on 16 January 2024.
"Your Phd journey might be more important than your destination; self-discovery could be your main finding." Chris Kennett
Under the title "Theoretical and applied reflections on research in sport", Dr. Chris Kennett introduced the students of the program to the trends, opportunities, and challenges that we currently find in sports research, based on his own international, cross-cultural and multidisciplinary history.
Chris Kennett started the conference by highlighting how the social, economic, political, or educational value of sport makes it a fascinating research topic, and how the sports industry captures this value to grow it. Sport is a multi-sector activity that has been and continues to be a stage and laboratory for social, economic, and technological innovation, and a space for the people development. Sport is passion, moves masses, but at the same time it is a source of conflict and inequality; sport is the object and subject of change, with new challenges such as digitization or Sporttainment. All these elements turn sport into a multi- and interdisciplinary research object.
Based on the humanistic role of research, he addressed questions to students about the value of their doctoral research, encouraging them to identify what they want their contribution to be and how their research can make a difference. With his conference, Chris Kennett motivated future doctors and research staff of the Institute, reaffirming the importance of their work at the intersection of science and sport.
Chris Kennett is a researcher, consultant and educator focused on technology and innovation in sport. Graduated in sports management and PhD from Loughborough University (United Kingdom). He is currently dean of the International Faculty of Commerce and Digital Economy (FICEDLS) of La Salle, Ramon Llull University. He was head of research projects at the UAB Olympic Studies Centre where he led, among others, the project Multiculturalism and sport.
The UAB PhD program in Sports Sciences is based on two differential values: interdisciplinarity and international orientation and is aimed at students from different academic fields: social and legal sciences, humanities, engineering, health sciences and basic sciences; physical activity and sport is always present in all the studies that are carried out. It has a team of more than 25 experts to supervise doctoral theses from different departments of the UAB and from other Spanish and international universities. The program is promote within the framework of the UAB Sports Research Institute.