HEureka! Athens as a practical laboratory for SCEM students
- 02.06.2026
- International
Students in the master's degree program in Sports, Culture & Event Management at the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol during their study trip to Athens.
From street art to cultural management and stadium operations: Students in the master's degree program in Sports, Culture & Event Management gained practical insights during a study trip to Athens.
In April 2026 Athens became an international learning space for students of the part-time Master's program Sports, Culture & Event Management at FH Kufstein Tirol: together with Program Director Asc. Prof. (FH) Mag. Monika Kohlhofer and Deputy Program Director Prof. (FH) Dr. Claudia Stura, the students spent four days exploring sporting, cultural and event-related concepts in the Greek capital.
THE ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS AND STADIUM MANAGERS GAVE THE STUDENTS A VIVID INSIGHT INTO WHAT SPORTS MANAGEMENT ENTAILS IN EVERYDAY LIFE [...].
Claudia Stura
Deputy Program Director
The focus of the study trip was not only on experiencing the city, but above all on critically engaging with different approaches to sport, culture and event management. The aim was to link theoretical content from the degree programme with practical on-site insights and to get to know international perspectives.
Practice-oriented insights into culture and event management
The trip began with a street art tour through various districts of Athens. The students examined graffiti art in public space, its social significance, and the structures and rules within the scene.
“I was particularly impressed by the expressive power of graffiti art in public space. Many neighbourhoods are shaped by large-scale works relating to politics, social injustice or identity,” says Monika Kohlhofer.
Cultural studies and organisational questions were also a focus: How do artists finance their work? What role does art in public space play? And how can cultural offerings be organised sustainably?
Other programme highlights included visits to the Acropolis Museum, the Technopolis cultural centre, and the Athens Digital Arts Festival. There the students gained insights into modern event formats, immersive media concepts and the use of digital technologies in the cultural sector.
The Digital Arts Festival in particular offered direct points of connection to current developments in event management — from interactive installations and games to AI-based applications.
Sports management between tradition and modernity
Sport-related topics also played a central role during the trip. At the historic Panathenaic Stadium, the venue of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, the students considered questions of sustainable use of historic sports facilities.
Another highlight was the visit to the stadium of football club AEK Athens. During a guided tour the participants received insights into modern sports management practice — for example in the areas of sponsorship, security, stadium operations and fan management.
One of the stops on the study trip took the students to the historic Panathenaic Stadium.
It also became clear how strongly sports organisations are shaped by social and historical developments. AEK Athens originally emerged from the Greek refugee movement following the Greco-Turkish War in the early 20th century.
“The personal conversations with department heads and stadium managers vividly showed the students what sports management means in everyday practice and how concepts and scientific findings are enacted by professionals,” sums up Claudia Stura.
International perspectives for further training
The study trip offered the students not only professional input but also space for reflection and exchange. Different cultural frameworks, other requirements for event and cultural work, and international perspectives on sports management were experienced directly on site.
This practical orientation is a central element of the Sport, Culture & Event Management programme at FH Kufstein Tirol. Study trips like the one to Athens enable students to deepen theoretical course content in an international context and to gain insights into potential future professional fields.