LAUSANNE: Despite threats from climate change, AI-enhanced doping or competition from e-sports, the boss of the International Olympic Committee believes the future has never looked so bright for his sports movement.

Thomas Bach, a 70-year-old German fencer, has run the Switzerland-based guardian of the Olympic Games since 2013 when interest in hosting the event was near rock-bottom after repeated scandals over costs and corruption.

Its diminished appeal was clear at the time of bidding for the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics when there were only two candidates, Paris and Los Angeles, who divided the honors between themselves.

Since then, the 2032 Games have been awarded to Brisbane, Australia, and Bach told AFP in an interview at IOC headquarters on Friday that there were “double-digit” numbers of countries in the running for 2036.

“We have never been in such a favorable position. We have never seen such a high interest in hosting the Olympic Games,” he said on Friday from his offices that overlook Lake Geneva.

After a string of Games in Western democracies, 2036 could be an opportunity for Saudi Arabia, sole candidate for the 2032 FIFA World Cup; Qatar, a losing candidate for 2032; Indonesia, or India.

“We are now 12 years away from these Games, so it is way too early to comment on any of these interests,” Bach replied when asked about Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Bach attributes the revival of interest in hosting the Olympics to reforms undertaken on his watch, which have sought to put an end to the wasteful spending that has near-bankrupted several host cities in the past.

Instead of oversized and gleaming new stadiums and facilities that often fall empty afterwards, the IOC now encourages the use of existing or temporary infrastructure.

An estimated 96 percent of the sport during Paris 2024, which begins on July 26, will take place in existing or temporary locations, while LA 2028 might reach 100 percent.

“Paris is the first Olympic Games which is absolutely in line with our Olympic agenda reforms from start to finish,” Bach added.

As a result, French organizers claim that their event will be responsible for around half the carbon emissions of previous editions in London 2012 and Rio in 2016.

Critics, such as environmental research group Carbon Market Watch, commend the efforts to improve, but remain skeptical that the Games can ever be sustainable.

“The most significant factor affecting the games’ environmental footprint is its enormity,” a report from the group stated in mid-April.

ISLAMABAD: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has gained traction as a major higher education destination for Pakistani students, university representatives and local admissions professionals noted this week, as the six-day “Study in Dubai” fair concluded in Lahore on Saturday after touring various cities.
Dubai has seen a significant increase in foreign student enrollments since the launch of the UAE National Strategy for Higher Education 2030 more than six years ago. UAE authorities reported this month international enrollments have risen by 25 percent since the 2022-23 academic year, including a seven percent increase among Pakistani students.
Education professionals believe Dubai is increasingly competing with traditional education destinations such as the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.
“What we have observed is that Pakistani students have started moving toward the Emirates,” Muhammad Shoaib told Arab News on Tuesday when the education fair was held in Rawalpindi.
“This is particularly because there have been some policy changes in the mainstream destinations, like Canada, Australia and the UK,” he continued. “Furthermore, we have seen that many reputable universities from the US, UK and Australia have started opening their campuses in Dubai.”

Dubai is currently home to 45 private universities offering over 650 programs, with degrees in business, engineering, information technology and media being the most sought-after among students.
Several top-ranking institutions of learning, including New York University, University of Birmingham, and Australia’s Curtin University, have opened their campuses there in recent years.
Wali-Ur-Rehman, the country manager for Curtin University’s Dubai campus in Pakistan, said the growth in international enrollment was due to increased postgraduate funding and greater job opportunities for those pursuing higher education in Dubai.
“We have seen a massive growth, from 2023 to 2024, of 40 percent [in terms of student applications] in the [Dubai] market, coming from Pakistan especially,” he said.
Daniyal Ahmed, a 19-year-old aspiring candidate for study in Dubai, described the UAE as an “ideal option” for him due to its proximity to Pakistan.
“Dubai has well-known universities now, like New York University and Khalifa University, which are performing quite well,” he said.
Asked about the traditional destinations preferred by students pursuing higher education, he said Pakistanis were beginning to face difficulties in securing visas to go to European universities.
Ahmed also mentioned Dubai’s education strategy, saying it included an expanded professional experience initiative, providing a variety of career training programs to students, such as on-campus work, job shadowing, joint ventures and vocational training.