Date: March 26, 2026
In Lausanne, the Swiss city that hosts the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee, discussions that shape the future of global sport unfold daily among institutions, researchers, and decision-makers. It was within this environment that students from the Institute of Sports Professions at Ibn Tofail University secured first place in the master’s category of the International Olympic Case Study Competition organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The final took place on March 24, 2026, at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Representing Morocco as Atlaz Consulting, the team consisted of Aya Aguerouani, Wail Ez-Ouini, Rayan Laabi, Youssef El Babili, Fatima Zahra El Moula, and Outmane Limouni. Supervised by Mouad Benouzekri, the students advanced through several international selection stages before reaching the final round of the competition.
According to the IOC, the 2025/2026 edition brought together a record participation of 36 universities from different parts of the world, making it the largest edition since the launch of the initiative. Universities specializing in sports management, governance, and Olympic studies competed throughout successive rounds focused on strategic questions directly connected to the realities of international sport.
The International Olympic Case Study Competition is organized through the IOC Olympic Studies Centre in collaboration with Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany and Universidad Europea de Madrid in Spain. Designed to connect academic learning with professional practice, the initiative places students in situations closely aligned with contemporary sports governance and Olympic institutions. Participating teams are required to analyze institutional challenges, develop strategic recommendations, and defend their proposals before specialists from both the Olympic and academic sectors.
The competition evaluates far more than theoretical knowledge alone. Throughout the different stages, participants are expected to think critically, communicate clearly, work collectively, and transform complex governance issues into coherent and applicable strategic proposals. The process requires analytical rigor, adaptability, clarity of thought, and the ability to respond to contemporary challenges affecting international sport.
For the 2025/2026 edition, the International Olympic Committee selected a theme centered on the support and protection of elite young athletes. The subject reflects growing international attention surrounding athlete safeguarding, psychological well-being, educational balance, and the pressures associated with high-performance competition at a young age. Participating teams were therefore invited to engage with questions extending beyond competition itself and touching directly on the human realities surrounding athlete development within elite sports systems.
Behind the result achieved in Lausanne stands months of preparation, research, discussion, and continuous evaluation. Competitions of this nature require sustained teamwork, institutional guidance, and the ability to engage seriously with complex international issues. The distinction obtained by the students therefore reflects not only their commitment and discipline, but also the academic environment developed within the Institute of Sports Professions, where training combines sports education with applied approaches linked to governance, management, and strategic analysis.
Ahead of the final stage, the Moroccan National Olympic Committee (CNOM) welcomed the team at its headquarters for an exchange session dedicated to discussing the project and strengthening the students’ strategic preparation before their departure to Lausanne.
Held in one of the symbolic centers of global sport governance, the final offered participating students direct exposure to an environment where academic reflection intersects with international institutional practice. In this setting, the result achieved by the students of Ibn Tofail University reflects the growing presence of Moroccan higher education within international academic spaces shaped by expertise, strategic thinking, and professional credibility. More importantly, it demonstrates the ability of Moroccan students to compete successfully in highly selective environments connected to the evolving realities of global sport.