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Olympic impact under the spotlight at UEL public seminar

Wednesday 19 March 2008

The Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP stressed the importance of training and employment for east Londoners at a major public seminar on the London 2012 Olympics held at the British Library on Friday 14 March.

Social Science Perspectives on the 2012 London Olympic Games explored a wide range of economic and social issues, including international tourism, urban regeneration, cultural diversity, competition between cities, and the symbolic meanings of sport. The event was organised by the University of East London (UEL) and the Academy of Social Sciences.

Stephen Timms, MP for East Ham and Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, delivered the seminar’s keynote speech on ‘The Significance of the 2012 Olympics for London’.

Stephen said: “New job creation is one of the major keys to the success of the London Olympics; in particular, our ability to ensure that currently unemployed east Londoners are able to benefit from the new opportunities available.

“I can remember when Canary Wharf was totally dead; these days more than 100,000 people work there and that figure could be soon set to double. If we can provide training and build confidence among east London residents, I’m optimistic the Olympics can make a very real difference to some of London's most deprived areas.”

Dr Iain MacRury, Director of UEL’s London East Research Institute, explored the competing conceptions of the 2012 Games as both 'gift' and 'commodity', arguing how government policy can best address aspirations connected to Olympic legacy, improved social and cultural engagement, and the sustainable regeneration of east London. 

Dr MacRury said: “Today’s event has inspired an excellent and enjoyable debate, enlivened by some very pressing local concerns. It's been important to close some of key gaps between theoretical concepts of the Olympics and more practical ideas about what the Games can actually deliver.”

Other key speakers included John Urry, Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Lancaster University and an expert on the connections between the Olympic Games, city status, and contemporary tourism, and Maurice Roche, Reader in Sociology at Sheffield University, whose latest book, ‘Mega-Events and Modernity’, offers in-depth analysis of the impact of major sporting and cultural events on popular culture and cultural policy.

The seminar was chaired by Michael Rustin, Professor of Sociology at the University of East London and co-editor of the recently published London’s Turning: the Making of Thames Gateway.

The London East Research Institute, based at UEL's Docklands campus, provides a regional network for research and consultancy on issues of urban regeneration. For further information, visit www.uel.ac.uk/londoneast.

For details and pictures contact Daniel Cherry: 020 8223 2194

University of East London: London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Office

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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