Origins
Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the Modern Olympic Games, regarded himself first and foremost as an educator. As he saw it, sport should form part of every young person's education, in the same way as science, literature and art. His aim was thereby to offer a harmonious education of the body and mind. The Olympic Games enabled Coubertin to give his educational concept the international visibility and scope it needed.
The IOC has acknowledged its particular responsibility in terms of promoting culture and Olympic education, and regards culture as the second dimension of Olympism, alongside sport.
The Olympic Studies Centre
Created in 1982, the Olympic Studies Centre (OSC) is today one of the world’s leading
centres for written, visual and audio information on the Olympic Movement and the
Olympic Games.
It is the entry point for the research, work or publications which contribute to education and the dissemination of the Olympic patrimony and its values.
The OSC’s main missions are:
- To ensure ongoing acquisition, preservation, description and diffusion of Olympic patrimony
- To promote and facilitate access to Olympic related written and audiovisual collections
- To provide services of research, analysis and creation of content
- To promote academic activities related to Olympism and stimulate synergies and collaboration between Olympic studies centres and researchers
- To encourage and promote collaboration with the Olympic Movement to ensure that global Olympic patrimony is preserved and made available
The Olympic Studies Centre is divided into specialised services which work in close cooperation:
Learn more about the Olympic Studies Centre in this 
downloadable brochure.