The 2013 IOC Trophy was presented to Associate Professor Ian Culpan on 11 February 2014 at the AEISEP (Association Internationale des Ecoles Superieures dEducation Physique - International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education) World Congress hosted by the University of Auckland, New Zealand. The presentation was made by the Secretary General of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, Kereyn Smith.
It was fitting that Ian was honoured in front of more than 300 of his New Zealand and international colleagues and peers.
As an associate professor and visiting professor whose research interests have focused on Olympism, Olympism pedagogy and physical education pedagogy, Ian has published and presented extensively, both nationally and internationally, promoting Olympism over many years of his distinguished career, creating a significant legacy in this field.
Ian has held a number of positions including
- Chair of the NZ Olympic and Commonwealth Games Associations Education Panel (1993 1997)
- Founding member of the Board of the New Zealand Olympic Academy and President for 8 years until 2008.
- Trustee of the International Honours Trust (Alpha Upsilon Chi) that recognises excellence in the academic achievement of graduating students in physical education
- On the editorial board of three international journals
- President for the Federation Internationale dEducation Physique (FIEP) - Oceania
Ians achievements are equally vast and varied;
- He was one of two principle writers of the 1999 national Physical Education curriculum which was one of the first in the world to integrate Olympism into a government mandated Physical Education curriculum
- He established and directs the NZ Centre for Olympic Studies, which is a high profile international centre for Olympic Studies where the emphasis is on researching the educative and socio-cultural aspects of Olympism
- Contracted by the IOC to introduce the Olympic Values Education Programme in Oceania
- Co-ordinated the All Blacks leadership training programme for four years; integrating the Principles of Olympism into the All Blacks culture.
- Invited to teach on the international Olympic Studies Masters programme at the German Sports University of Cologne, and
- In 2013 Ian was an invited academic to the UNESCO World Sports Forum for Government ministers in Berlin (MINESP V)and was one of 20 invited academics to provide expert advice to UNESCO on policy development for physical education and sport
He has also received other Significant Awards for his work, including;
- IOC Trophy for Sport and Education 2000
- One of nine recipients of the Sir Alexander Gillies Medal for Physical Education. The highest scholarly honour that can be bestowed on an individual from within New Zealand Physical Education
- Life Member and Fellow of Physical Education New Zealand (PENZ)
- Recipient of the University of Canterbury Erskine scholarship Teaching Fellowship Grant, 2013
It was for this significant and sustained contribution to Olympism Education that Ian has been recognised. From these impressive credentials you can see he is an ideal and richly deserving recipient of this trophy.
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