Mega Events: Inside the 2014 Winter Olympics

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The SPDC Mega Event Planning Group and MSUglobal offered a free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the 2014 Winter Olympics. On the surface, the public spectacle of the Olympics is compelling, but going inside the games reveals so much more about the event, the athletes and the host city. The MOOC explored the many dimensions of mega-events--history, culture, politics, business, law, sports management, health and economics--and provided the tools and language to interpret and understand the 2014 Winter Olympics.

The course took place online January 27-March 1, 2014. It provided video lectures, and opportunities for interaction with the instructors and other students. The course made use of discussion forums and offered external social networking participation or elements.

The course was taught by Mark Wilson, PhD, a Professor in the SPDC Urban & Regional Planning (URP) Program and Director of SPDC Global; Eva Kassens-Noor, PhD, an Assistant Professor for the SPDC URP and the MSU Global Urban Studies Program; and Lisa Robinson, head of metadata management for MSU Libraries.

Olympics Trivia Videos

Trivia: Winter Olympics

Trivia: Hockey San Moritz

Interactive Live Viewing of Sochi Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony: Friday, February 7, 2014

On Friday, February 7, 2014, the MSU School of Planning, Design and Construction (SPDC) and the Eli Broad College of Business welcomed the Michigan State community to join them on campus for an interactive live viewing of the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

The Opening Ceremony Live Viewing event included presentations by:

  • Joseph Potchen, JD, Visiting Assistant Professor, on Legal Issues of the Olympics;
  • Eva Kassens-Noor, PhD, on Planning and Logistics of the Olympics;
  • Lisa Robinson on Identity and Gender at the Sochi Olympics; and
  • Mark Wilson, PhD, on the History of Opening Ceremonies. 

Attendees were invited to use social media to offer insights and views on the unfolding events. The MOOC included participants from all over the world, so a wide range of views on this live event were presented. 

For questions about this event, please contact Mark Wilson or Eva Kassens-Noor.

Mega Event Planning

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