The 32 students enrolled in the 16th edition of the International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport received their diplomas today at the Chateau de Neuchatel in Switzerland. Hailing from 29 different countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, the 15 young women and 17 young men are now encouraged to take up management positions in sporting organisations around the world.

"The overwhelming success of FIFA Master graduates is testament to the truly multicultural mix of students composed each year by the CIES," said FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura, present at the graduation ceremony. "The FIFA Master is undoubtedly building the new generation of sports professionals, who can help continue to drive the reforms needed to revolutionise the sports industry."

Created in 2000 by FIFA and the Neuchatel-based International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES), the 'FIFA Master' has become a benchmark in sports management education programmes. The first 15 editions of the course produced over 415 graduates from nearly 100 countries, with each following a one-year university curriculum provided by De Montfort University (Leicester, England), the SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan, Italy) and the University of Neuchatel (Switzerland).

The curriculum allows a multicultural group of students – nearly every continent is represented each year – to spend an unforgettable year studying at universities in three different countries. Thanks to the programme, students are able to broaden their knowledge through lectures and seminars held by qualified professors and numerous sporting officials.

As a footnote, the goal of the CIES is to use a multi-disciplinary approach (law, sociology, geography, management and history) to develop research, education and consulting services for the sports community. It also aims to serve as a link between the worlds of research, education and sporting institutions, and encourages the exchange of knowledge and experience between professionals in the academic world and the sports industry.