Mette Lammi and Riku Heinonen were the first to graduate from the Master's Degree Programme of Responsible Management and Business of Sport
The RESPO programme has provided students with a wide range of skills for responsible sports management.
- The education has given me a better understanding of the bigger picture and the issues involved in responsibility and responsible management. During our studies, we looked for and learned different ways to solve ethical problems. My understanding of how sport affects the world has also grown, says Mette Lammi.
- It's important to follow the world and be part of developments, it's hard to ignore responsibility. There are also big problems in sport. The education provided important content for these, adds Riku Heinonen.
- Responsibility thinking is integrated throughout the RESPO programme, it is present in everything we do, says programme leader Suvi Heikkinen from the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics (JSBE) and programme leader Hanna Vehmas from the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences.
A versatile degree
Both graduates thank the versatility of the education, among other things. The courses are split equally between the JSBE and the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences. The required internship supports employment.
- It was great to be able to combine my own interests and sporting background with my studies. In the same way, my thesis allowed me to explore gender equality in sport, which is an area of interest to me, says Lammi.
- The education allowed me to choose topics that interested me. In general, I felt that responsibility is important for the future. The studies also provided a nice counterbalance to my work and hobbies, Heinonen continues.
- We also got good support from our teachers, adds Lammi.
A close-knit and communal group
Two years ago, 20 students started the Master's Degree Programme of Responsible Management and Business of Sport, and along the way they formed a close-knit group.
- Completing the degree in two years was a lot of work, as many of us studied while working. But as a group, we were able to help each other, and we solved problems together. Our group was very communal, says Heinonen.
RESPO programme’s popularity is growing, development work continues actively
The Master's Degree Programme of Responsible Management and Business of Sport, unique in our country, has grown in popularity year on year.
- We have received a lot of good feedback on the multidisciplinary cooperation: understanding management and business skills and the specificities of sport provides a new kind of understanding, says Heikkinen.
- This year we had three times as many applicants as in previous years, as well as more international applicants.
- In the last round of applications, RESPO was the most popular of the programmes in the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, says Vehmas.
The education is being actively developed in a variety of ways. The underlying idea is also to ensure that cooperation between faculties is balanced and mutually beneficial.
- We have a stakeholder group of 15 sports organizations with whom we are constantly developing the programme. We are also particularly active in collecting student feedback. We also meet regularly with the international advisory board to assess and discuss together what we have done and what we could do better in the future. We want to improve constantly, says Heikkinen.
- It's great that we can educate talented sports leaders of the future. Responsibility in sports management is new, even on a global scale.
Finally, what greetings do recent graduates send to others interested in the RESPO programme?
- This is an important area for the future, and you should apply. Even if you haven’t spoken English so much, you can certainly do well in English, encourages Lammi.
- There will certainly be a need for this in the future. The internationality of the programme is also a nice plus, continues Heinonen.
What is the RESPO programme?
The Master's Degree Programme of Responsible Management and Business of Sport (RESPO) is unique in many ways. It is the first multidisciplinary master's degree in sports management in Finland. The Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences (the only one in Finland) and the JSBE accredited with international quality standards, offering students a scientifically unique package and a degree that directly meets the needs of skills of working life.
Read more about the RESPO programme.