HBKU graduates during the exchange programme in Canada.
Doha, Qatar: Graduate students from the Sport and Entertainment Management programme at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) School of Economics and Management have completed a ten-day academic exchange in Canada, examining how major sporting events can create lasting social, institutional, and educational value.
Delivered as part of the Qatar Canada and Mexico 2026 Year of Culture, the programme brought together students, academics, researchers, and sport-sector specialists at the University of Toronto and Western University.
Taking place just weeks after Canada hosted FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, the exchange offered a timely opportunity to place Qatar’s experience from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in conversation with Canada’s post-tournament experience.
As part of their studies, the students explored the strategic, social, and economic dimensions of sport.
“Years of Culture is about turning cultural exchange into practical and lasting relationships. By connecting emerging sport professionals from Qatar with academic institutions and researchers in Canada, this programme creates opportunities to share knowledge, compare experiences, and establish cooperation.
Sport provides a particularly powerful platform for this exchange, combining education, community development, and long-term national legacy,” said Dr. Kamilla Swart, Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Science in Sport and Entertainment Management programme, HBKU.
The exercise combined academic exchange with first-hand exposure to Canada’s sporting culture. Students met faculty and graduate researchers, visited university sport and recreation facilities, and toured MLSE LaunchPad to explore how community sport can support youth development, inclusion, and wider social outcomes.
The Toronto programme included a Blue Jays game, a tour of the Rogers Centre, and a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame. At Western University, participants examined Olympic archival material, discussed the social impact of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Dr. Simon Darnell, Professor, Sport for Development & Peace and Director, Centre for Sport Policy Studies, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Toronto, said: “I was very pleased to meet and host the students from Hamad Bin Khalifa University during their visit to Toronto. They showed a genuine interest in the various subjects and topics that make up Kinesiology and brought a thoughtful and collegial approach.
