About
The relationship between sport, politics, and discussions on human rights in sport have changed significantly in recent years. For decades, the public and sport administrators demanded that sport should be free from political exertion of influence, but it appears that the network of relationships between sport and politics is currently negotiated again. Mega-sport events such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar have put those discussions to the forefront of academic and public debates. Similarly, the International Olympic Committee’s announcement on its neutrality towards the participation of Russian athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games raised questions on the universal idea of the autonomy of sport. As a result, sport organizations increasingly become political players which has consequences for all stakeholders within the sport system: governing bodies, athletes, coaches, clubs, sponsors, but also academics.
Against this background, this symposium on sport and neutrality aims to bring together academics to discuss this apparent fundamental realignment of sport and politics from different academic perspectives. Scholars will engage with current issues around sport, morality, and human rights to assess whether stakeholders in sport can and should remain neutral. This also includes the role of sport science as an academic field itself since it appears to become increasingly dependent on sport organizations for funding, access to documentation, and publisher of research results.
Format & Outcome
A 30-minute keynote presentation is followed by 15 minutes inputs by the panel speakers in each session, with subsequent one-hour panel discussions. The focus of the symposium is on discussions and exchanges. All speakers are invited.
Programme
26 and 27 October - Symposium
The Symposia programme will be a combination of keynotes, panel discussions and plenary presentations. The programme will start at 09.30 on the 26th and end 14:30 on the 27th. The Conference dinner will be at 19.00 on the 26th.
Programme outline
October 26
09.00 Welcome
09.30 Session 1: Sport, Neutrality, and Morality
This session sets the scene for the later discussions and addresses ethical questions on the split between sport and politics from philosophical and sociological perspectives. It builds on the paradox of sport’s autonomy that on the one hand prevents political engagement of athletes, coaches, and national federations to raise their voices, but on the other hand allows the staging of mega-sport events to facilitate political objectives.
KEYNOTE: Should Russian and Belarusian athletes be excluded from the Olympics? by Verner Møller, Aarhus University, Denmark
Goodbye, neutrality? Sport, politics, and the issue of competing human rights
by Hans Erik Næss, Kristiania University College, Norway
Sport in a fragmented world: An unsustainable neutrality?
by Leo Goretti, Instituto Affari Internazionali, Italy
Sport, politics and the rules of the game
Jon Helge Lesjø, Inland Norway University of Applied Scinces, Norway
11.00 Break
11.15 Panel discussion
12.00 Lunch
13.15 Session 2: Sport, Neutrality, and the Law
The session addresses the legal dimensions of the contested concept of sports political neutrality. Is neutrality a fiction or legally operationalized principle? Which competing interests/values does neutrality reveal, and how may (or may not) the law reconcile them? Who enforces sports neutrality, and what ultimate control remains available over these decisions? The session is organized in collaboration with the annual conference of the International Sports Law Journal (ISLJ).
CAS reasoning and the neutrality myth in transnational sports law and governance
by Antoine Duval, ASSER Institute, The Netherlands
Political neutrality and political protest: the future of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter
by Mark James, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Q&A
14.15 Break
Neutral sports and human rights
by Daniela Heerdt, ASSER Institute, The Netherlands
Sports neutrality as a legal fiction: a perspective from legal theory
by Yuliya Chernykh, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
Q&A
15.30 End
19.00 Dinner at Hvelvet Restaurant
October 27
09.00 Intro to the Lillehammer Olympic and Paralympic Studies Centre Strategy for 2024–26 by Jörg Krieger, Inland Norway University of Applied Scinces
09.30 Session 3: Sport, Neutrality, and Academic Freedom
In this session academics reflect about sport and academic freedom and discuss questions on how close academics (or academic institutions) should be to sport organizations or activists and what safeguards might strike a proper/better balance between cooperation and academic freedom.
KEYNOTE: Sport science and knowledge transfer: possibilities and challenges
by Sigmund Loland, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
Combining research and activism? Reflections on working with stakeholders in sociology of sport
by Anne Tjønndal, Nord University, Norway
The Truth or the Cause? Navigating Conflicts of Interest between Academics and Practitioners in Anti-Doping Research
by Ask Vest Christiansen, Aarhus University, Denmark
When the personal becomes political: reflections on feminism and activism in sport related research and mentorship
by Bieke Gils, University of South-Eastern Norway
11:00 Break
11.15 Paneldiscussion
12.00 Lunch
12.45 Closing remarks
13.00 End of symposia
Workshop for PhD Students
The programme is in the making and will be published in August.
25 October - Pre-Symposium Workshop for PhD Students (1500 – 1700)
The workshop gives early career researchers (Ph.D. candidates & Post-Docs) the chance to expand their network and the possibility to present their work in front of an academic audience. Early-career researchers wishing to provide a 15-minute presentation (on a selected aspect) of their work relating to neutrality in sport are invited to submit an abstract of 250 words, a CV, the name(s) of the supervisors/advisors and a brief presentation of the overall topic of the PhD project to krieger@ph.au.dk. The deadline for submission is 1 October 2023. Workshop participation is free, but acepted PhD students will have to register for the symposium separately. The workshop will be held at the Norwegian Olympic Museum in Lillehammer and is followed by an informal get-together.
Practical information
When and where
The symposia will take place at the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences in Lillehammer October 26 and 27. The campus is situated 5 km north of the city of Lillehammer with easy access with public transportation.
Symposia fees
Pre-Symposium Workshop: Free (for PhD students with an accepted proposal only)
Symposia: NOK 750 (incl. VAT)
Dinner on the 26th: NOK 250
Registration
Please register here by October 10.
Cancellation policy
All cancellations must be sent to per.eriksson@inn.no no later than October 12. Cancellations until this date will be refunded, minus a processing fee of NOK 300,-. Cancellation after October 12 or no-show at the conference will not be refunded.
Symposia dinner
The dinner will be at Bakgården Bodega that is situated in one of Lillehammers famous backyards. The Bodega is built up with used materials and second hand furniture to get the right atmosphere. They serve tapas from local and international producers. The dinner is booked through the registration formula and only includes the meal.
How to get to the conference?
If you fly to Norway, we recommend you take the train that runs from the airport (Oslo Lufthavn). You may buy train tickets online at vy.no/en, at the train station or onboard the train itself. The train to Lillehammer runs every hour at 59 minutes past the hour and takes approximately 1 hour 40 minutes.
More information?
The content:
Jörg Krieger: krieger@ph.au.dk or
Yuliya Chernykh: yuliya.chernykh@inn.no
Practical info:
Per Eriksson: per.eriksson@inn.no
Organized by
