The lecture series "Connectant Recerca en l'Esport 2026-2027" kicks off with a session on Olympism and social networks

The lecture series fosters interaction and interdisciplinary research synergies in the planning of projects at the Institute.

The Comtec Space of the Hemeroteca de Comunicació de la UAB hosted the inaugural session of the "Connectant Recerca en l'Esport 2026-2027" lecture series on November 3. The day began with an institutional welcome by the director of the IRE, Miquel Torregrossa, and the deputy director of research, Anna Tous. Before starting the presentations, the attendees observed a respectful minute of silence in memory of Jesús de Miguel, a Club Deportivo Tenerife player who passed away that same morning.

Following this, the main lecture began, entitled "Els Estudis Olímpics com a laboratori multidisciplinari i l'esport global: xarxes socials, dinàmiques d'engagement i pol·linització creuada". The speaker, Emilio Fernández Peña, director of Olympic Studies, analyzed Olympic Studies as an environment to understand the complexity of contemporary sports and its social impact, paying special attention to the role of social networks, digital communities, and engagement strategies in the global sports ecosystem. At the end of the presentation, a question time was opened where the attendees could interact directly with the speaker.

Once the presentation concluded, the second part of the event moved to the IRE-UAB headquarters to offer a networking space that favored direct interaction among the attendees and continued with an internal workshop conceived specifically as a participatory space. During this session, different visions were shared to explore new lines of research, propose methodological approaches, and seek possible interdisciplinary synergies in the planning of projects and activities at the Institute. This inaugural event kicks off the series, which throughout the 2026-2027 academic year will feature three more dates: Ricardo Salinas will address sports governance on December 2, 2026; Ana Lucia Santos will focus her presentation on the field of gender and sports on March 3, 2027; and Marc Guillem Molins will be in charge of the session on motor skills and cognition scheduled for May 5, 2027.