Olympic Studies Centre of the UAB, recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
An international centre of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona dedicated to research, education, documentation, and the dissemination of the Olympic phenomenon and sport.
The Olympic Studies Centre of the UAB is a university research centre established in 1989 in response to Barcelona’s nomination as host city of the XXV Olympic Games.
It was the first centre recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is part of the global network of Olympic Studies Centres.
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What we do?
Research
The projects cover different areas of sport and the Olympic Games, especially from the perspective of the social sciences, including communication, the impact and legacy of the Olympic Games, and the role of sport in society.
Education
Organization of undergraduate and postgraduate activities, training programs for sport managers, university seminars, and international education programs.
Outreach
Organization of symposiums, conferences, and publications for the scientific and social dissemination of the studies carried out.
Information
Collection and access to documentary resources, including holdings related to the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, and information services for researchers, students, and professionals.
International outreach of the Olympic Studies Centre of the UAB
The CEO-UAB collaborates with the international Olympic Movement and with national and international sports organizations in academic, scientific, and cultural dissemination activities.
It participates in international projects, academic networks, and inter-university cooperation programs.
Main activities of the Olympic Studies Centre of the UAB
- Promote research in the field of Olympism and sport.
- Organize university courses for professionals and postgraduate students.
- Provide information through documentation services.
- Promote international academic activities.
- Disseminate studies through symposiums, conferences, and publications.
Our Mascot: The Academic Cobi
In late 1989, we approached Xavier Mariscal (the designer of the Barcelona ’92 Olympic mascot, Cobi) to request the creation of a version of the mascot that would represent scholars and researchers of Olympism.
His response was prompt, arriving in the form of a letter that included a sketch of what would become the first academic mascot in the history of the Olympic Games: the Academic Cobi, complete with mortarboard and diploma.
Following several preliminary discussions, an agreement was formalized in November 1990 whereby COOB ’92 granted the CEO‑UAB the free use of the Barcelona ’92 Olympic Games mascot, Cobi, in its Academic Cobi version, exclusively for institutional purposes and with no commercial use whatsoever.
This integration of the Barcelona ’92 brand had highly positive effects on the Centre’s visibility and recognition.
Consequently, researchers, professors, documentalists, fellows, students, and technical staff later became known as the “Cobi Troupe,” a name bestowed upon us by the Korean anthropologist Kang Shin‑Pyo, an indirect source of inspiration for the CEO‑UAB.
After the Olympic Games, in March 1996, the CEO‑UAB formally requested authorization from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to continue using the Academic Cobi as the Centre’s identifying symbol.
The IOC’s Director of Legal Affairs, Howard M. Stupp, and the IOC’s Secretary General, Françoise Zweifel, responded favorably to the request, and the IOC expressly authorized the CEO‑UAB to continue using the mascot.
For further details on the history of the CEO‑UAB, see the Olympic Mosaic, available in the DDD.
