The partnership will support the development of management skills in the sports sector, bringing together academic knowledge and the experience of a company actively involved in supporting sport.
Ten editions of the programme, international recognition, experienced Kozminski University lecturers and a strong emphasis on practical learning – all aimed at supporting the development of Polish sport and preparing the sector’s future leaders. For more than 11 years, Kozminski University and CIES, together with the partners of the Sports Management programme, have combined academic knowledge with practitioners’ experience to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving sports industry. They are now joined by PROFBUD, a property developer actively supporting Polish sport, education, and local communities.
“Developing sport requires managers who can combine sporting ambition with responsible management and long-term thinking. This is why, at Kozminski University, we place such importance on connecting programme participants with business practice. PROFBUD brings the experience of a company committed to supporting Polish sport. Together, we want to show participants how to build lasting relationships between sport and business and turn good ideas into initiatives that create value for sports organisations and their stakeholders. This is an investment in the skills of the people who will help shape the future of sport,” says Professor Grzegorz Mazurek, Rector of Kozminski University.
The FIFA/CIES International Programme in Sports Management is a unique programme designed to develop sports management skills through the latest knowledge and best practices. It combines the expertise of academic lecturers with the experience of professionals managing sports organisations. Launched at Kozminski University in 2014, it is the only programme in Poland delivered within the FIFA/CIES International University Network. Its curriculum was developed in collaboration with experts from the network, which currently brings together 22 universities worldwide, each delivering a programme tailored to its local sports management context.
At PROFBUD, we take a long-term view of both our property developments and our involvement in sport. We focus on initiatives that deliver real value to athletes, organisations and the wider sporting community. We support Olympians, individual athletes, clubs, and sporting initiatives, but we also want to share our knowledge and practical business experience. This approach remains distinctive within the property development sector, which makes us even more determined to lead the way and demonstrate that corporate responsibility can also mean making a tangible contribution to Polish sport and the people behind it. Our partnership with Kozminski University is a natural extension of this approach: it brings together sport, education, and business – areas that play an important role in our strategy.
I have experienced sport from several perspectives: as an athlete, a sports manager and, today, as someone responsible for PR and communications for a brand deeply committed to its development. Each of these roles has shown me that success in sport depends not only on athletes’ talent and ambition, but also on well-prepared managers who can build organisations responsibly, nurture relationships with partners and create value through sport. I believe that sharing experience across sport, academia and business will help prepare leaders who will shape the future of Polish sport with both sound judgement and courage,” says Aida Bella, Director of Communications, PR, and Business Relations at PROFBUD.
Applications for the 11th edition of the Sports Management postgraduate programme – the FIFA/CIES International Programme in Sports Management – are open until 30 September 2026. Classes are scheduled to begin in October 2026. Further details are available on the programme website
