University of East London Homepage

UEL and ASICS to go the extra mile with sports scholarship package

Thursday 12 July 2012

ASICS

With the London 2012 Games only two weeks away, The University of East London (UEL) has joined forces with ASICS to launch an exciting package of scholarships in a bid to lure present and future Olympic stars to the University, and to keep UEL at the forefront of sports science research.

In September 2011, UEL welcomed ASICS – the leading sports performance company – to its family of sporting partners when both parties signed a five year agreement. ASICS will operate its brand centre at UEL’s Stratford Campus during the London 2012 Games, which will play host to athletes, ambassadors, media contacts, business partners and other visitors.

As a university with an elite crop of emerging athletes, such as Kimbely Baptiste and Lumar Sylvester, UEL is looking to build on its recent and most successful performance ever at the British Universities & Colleges Sport Championships in the Olympic Stadium by recruiting the next generation of track and field stars through the ASICS/UEL Athletics Scholarships.

Open to home, European Union (EU) and international students, ASICS has allocated a significant budget to fund two students each year over the next five years. Applicants should be competing at a national or international level within the sport of athletics (track and field and cross country), and agree to compete for UEL in BUCS competitions; commit to ambassadorial activity on behalf of ASICS and UEL, and not be under contract to any other kit provider or conflicting sponsor. The deadline for applications is Sunday, 22 July.

While much of the focus during the summer will centre on athletes’ performances, there will inevitably be a high degree of attention on the work behind the scenes of the people who help them prepare for elite competition – sports science experts for example. With that in mind, a generous budget has been set aside as part of the ASICS /UEL Undergraduate Scholarships to offer two students each year over the next three years the opportunity to pursue a degree in sports science. Students will need 300 UCAS points or more from a maximum of three subjects, and agree to participate in ambassadorial activity.  The deadline for applications is Friday, 24 August.

UEL Pro-Vice Chancellor, Nirmal Borkhataria, said: “This is yet another great example of how UEL is working with its partners to deliver an effective sporting legacy. We’re delighted that an organisation of ASICS’ global reputation has decided to join our family of high profile partners, and provide such a generous scholarship package.

“We are starting to attract some of the most exciting elite athletes from around the world to our student population at UEL, and we’re also building a strong and credible reputation in the field of sports science and research. Without doubt, this partnership will strengthen our bid to become the number one university for sport in London by 2015.”

Alistair Cameron, CEO ASICS Europe:  “As a true sports performance brand, research and development is at the heart of our business. ASICS is committed to supporting up and coming talent in the world of sports and sports science at UEL.”

As part of the agreement, UEL will be allocated a budget to cover the costs of an academic researcher to visit the ASICS Institute of Sport Science in Kobe, Japan. In addition, current students at UEL will be able to share funding over the next three years to take part in specialist coaching clinics.

There has also been strong interest in the ASICS/UEL PhD studentships, which start this September. This will see students examining - among other things - the impact of sports footwear on the foot and lower limb. For these scholarships, ASICS has generously allocated a significant budget to fund two PHD students each year over the course of three years.

For further information on how to apply for these scholarships and eligibility criteria, please visit uel.ac.uk/scholarships or contact UEL applicant enquiries on 020 8223 3333 or study@uel.ac.uk

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.

Information for screenreader users:

For a general description of these pages and an explanation of how they should work with screenreading equipment please follow this link: Link to general description

For further information on this web site’s accessibility features please follow this link: Link to accessibility information