Fostering global leaders: A case study of the Korea Foundation for the Next Generation Sports Talent and its partnership with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The Korea Foundation for the Next Generation Sports Talent (NEST) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville have been collaborating to foster global sports talent through academic cooperation and have been interacting to reeducate retired South Korean elite athletes since December, 2008. The purpose of the partnership is to create mutual international understandings between the two parties. This study explores the intended/initial goals of the partnership and whether these goals have changed (if so how and why) or remained the same. If the goals have remained the same, has anything changed? Results indicate that fostering global leadership skills, English language training, academic and cultural competencies were the intended goals of the partnership. These goals have remained the same over the span of six years, despite the fact that leadership between the two parties has changed twice. At the same time, the program has become more sophisticated and has expanded its programs to include more field specific educational seminars and opportunities as well as more opportunities for social and cultural exchange.