Professor Dikaia Chatziefstathiou

I have been working at the CCCU for almost 18 years (since 2005) as a sociologist of sport. I am also the Director of Research Environment in the School of Psychology and Life Sciences, and the Associate Director of Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Social Sciences. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

My area of expertise focuses more specifically on the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the political, social and economic challenges that surround them.  As well as on issues of sport, human rights and safeguarding within and beyond the Olympic movement. I am the Head of the Sport, Human Rights and Safeguarding Research Group in CCCU, which is committed to conducting high quality, values-led research to improve health, wellbeing, and welfare for those working and participating in sport.

 (https://www.canterbury.ac.uk/science-engineering-and-social-sciences/psychology-and-life-sciences/sport-and-exercise-sciences/research/sport-human-rights-and-safeguarding/sport-human-rights-and-safeguarding-research-group.aspx)

I was awarded the Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship at the Regional Development Institute of the Panteion University in Athens, Greece (2013-2015) to examine "An Evaluation of the Legacies of the Sporting Mega Events on Social Capital in Greece". I won the inaugural Coubertin Prize 2008 awarded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Pierre de Coubertin Committee (IPCC) for my qualitative research on Pierre de Coubertin’s writings and speeches. Following my award, I became a Member of the Executive Board of the International Pierre de Coubertin Committee (based in Lausanne, Switzerland) until 2018. I was the Guest Editor for the Special Olympic Issue of the European Sport Management Quarterly in 2012 (co-edited with Professor Ian Henry).

I was the Editor-in-Chief of the Routledge Handbook of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (2020) and author of the book "Discourses of Olympism: From the Sorbonne 1894 to London 2012" published by Palgrave (2012; co-authored with Professor Ian Henry) and have edited several other books.

I am also writing educational resources for children and young people, such as the storytelling book "Imagine my Stories for Peace" containing five stories for inspiring young people to embody the Olympic values in their lives (2016; published by the International Olympic Truce Centre) and "Olympism: I play with safety" (Ολυμπισμός: ΠαίΖΩ με ασφάλεια; 2021, published by the International Olympic Truce Centre and the Hellenic Olympic Academy).

I am currently the Module Leader of the two Undergraduate Dissertation modules of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation.

I have been teaching at Canterbury Christ Church University for almost 18 years, developing and leading modules in sociology of sport, sport policy and research methods. My teaching experience is both at undergraduate (School of Psychology and Life Sciences) and postgraduate programmes (School/ Faculty/ Graduate School), ensuring that my ongoing work meets the TEF criteria for teaching quality; learning environment; student outcomes and learning gain.

I have been Research Supervisor to many doctoral, masters and undergraduate theses, and Chair to PhD Supervision Committees. My teaching experience also extends beyond the University as I have often taken up visiting positions and invited appointments to several institutions worldwide (e.g. Ithaca College, USA; National Institute of Education in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore).

My interest in pedagogy is reflected in the portfolio of my publications in leading the development and enhancement of learning and teaching of Olympic education nationally and internationally, supported by engagement in the practitioner community. 

My publications are multi/interdisciplinary incorporating understandings from sociology, history, politics, international relations, education, management and philosophy.

I enjoy undertaking publishing projects that engage diverse and often wider audiences (e.g. academics, coaches, athletes, policymakers) such as being the Editor-in-Chief of the Routledge Handbook of Olympic and Paralympic Games (2020), writing educational resources for children and young people (e.g. the storytelling book published in 2016 by the International Olympic Truce Centre) or co-authoring an editorial for the British Journal of Sports Medicine on Sports equity.

Currently, I am Member of the Advanced Grants Selection Committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Member of the International Pierre de Coubertin Committee. From my role as the Head of Sport, Human Rights and Safeguarding Research Group I have developed links with several organisations such as the IOC (e.g., the Senior Manager of Safeguarding in Sport at the IOC is pursuing a PhD under my supervision), Safe Sport International, Centre for Sport and Human Rights, Unicef UK.

I am Advisor for the International Olympic Truce Centre curating educational events and resources for their programmes around the world. I have worked with Peace and Sport organisation (under the patronage of Prince Albert of Monaco) in leading a consultancy project that evaluated their global fieldwork programmes (2018).  

I am a Board member of the Greek-based not-for-profit organisation The UrbanDig Project, and have engaged with a series of funded research and knowledge exchange activities involving a variety of stakeholders such as municipalities, universities, sports clubs, arts councils, sponsors, media etc. in Greece and beyond (www.urbandigproject.org). Our work is showcased in Athens’ Resilience Strategy, as an integral part of the cohesive strategic plan for 2030 launched from the Mayor of Athens, Greece in 2016.  

I have been invited Keynote Speaker to numerous international conferences (e.g. the European Sport Management Association Conference; Singapore Olympic Academy) and an invited speaker/ professor worldwide. My talks vary from presenting my work to academic audiences or in collaborative research working groups, but also to staff of organising committees of mega sports events (e.g. Sochi Olympic Games Organising Committee; Baku European Games Organising Committee), athletes (Abu Dhabi Sports Council), coaches and other key stakeholders of the sport business industry.

I have been external examiner to several undergraduate and postgraduate programmes (e.g. MSc. In Sports Management at Loughborough University); I am a member of editorial boards to several journals and have been the Guest Editor for the Special Issue on the Olympic Games of the European Sport Management Quarterly (see cv ‘editor/ editorial boards’).

My work has featured to several media appearances.