DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

Aspire Academy also serves the local community and is regarded as a beacon of excellence in sports and education across Qatar. Student-athletes and teachers play a large part in many of the events in Aspire and Qatar and act as international ambassadors for Qatar whenever they compete. They interact and share cultural exchanges with peers from all over the world, examining differences whilst celebrating their heritage.

The Education and Students’ Care Directorate, the Leadership Development Programme (LDP) and the Aspire School, in coordination with other departments and sections at Aspire, celebrate Global Citizenship Day each year. Such an event provides student-athletes and staff members with an amazing opportunity to not only represent their home countries and local cultures, but also experience other cultures in an engaging way. Global Citizenship Day promotes core values at Aspire, such as respect and internationalism.

When traveling abroad, Aspire Academy’s student-athletes have a strict behavioural code to uphold Aspire Academy’s outstanding reputation. This is monitored by coaches, teachers and selected sports science staff. Student-athletes usually have a day off, called a cultural day, whenever they travel abroad, during which they participate in an organised tour of the city as a team. When in Qatar, international student-athletes also have weekends organised by resident educators to experience Qatari culture.

These include lively desert trips and visits to cultural villages, souqs, museums and more. Our senior student-athletes also get the opportunity to visit international universities whilst travelling, while Aspire Academy has even hosted an American University Open Fair for student-athletes in previous years.