On December 8, the We Compete As One foundation signed a cooperation agreement with the Faculty of Global Studies of the Moscow State University. The agreement was signed by Nikita Mazepin, the founder of WCAO, Elena Rufova, the CEO of WCAO, and Ilya Ilyin, Dean of the Faculty of Global Studies.
“Education is an essential part of everyone’s life. We understand that the majority of high-level athletes, who devote their whole lives to hard training and dreaming about an Olympic podium, have neither time nor energy to get proper education. This academic lack may affect their future when their sports career ends. I am sure that cooperation with the Moscow State University will open new doors for the beneficiaries of our Foundation,” commented Nikita Mazepin.
The event was also attended by Ivan Aleshkovsky, Deputy Dean and the Director of MSU’s Educational Strategy Centre, Stanislav Bushev, MSU’s Vice-Rector for Supplementary Education, and Suren Stepanyants, Head of the Faculty of Physical Education. The Russian Olympic Committee was represented by Ekaterina Gorokhova, leading specialist from the International Relations Department and the secretary of the Athletes’ Commission, as well as Olga Denshchikova, a member of the Athletes’ Commission and a national champion in skeleton. The signing was attended by beneficiaries of We Compete As One including Olympic and Paralympic athletes, who will be the first to continue their education under this partnership.
“The Moscow State University have been concerned about Russian athletes’ suspension for a long time. MSU in general and the Faculty of Global Studies fully support the Foundation’s initiative to help Russian athletes suspended from competitions for non-sporting reasons. A lot of performers are currently in need of assistance, especially those who were unable to combine a professional career with a full-fledged education. That is why the goal of our partnership is to develop special educational programmes that will best meet the needs of the Foundation’s beneficiaries,” said Ilya Ilyin, Dean of the Faculty of Global Studies.
To date, WCAO has been contacted by professional sportspeople from various regions of Russia including Republic of Tatarstan, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Sakhalin Region, Irkutsk Region, Tyumen Region, Kaluga Region, Vladimir Region, Samara Region, Tver Region, Moscow Region, Krasnodar Krai and other regions of Russia, as well as by Russian athletes living abroad.