It was a chance encounter with a faculty member more than a decade ago that put Brock University on Raúl Rosales Zavaleta’s radar.

Now, the Chair of Business Administration and Sports Business at Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas in Peru considers time recently spent at the Canadian institution a highlight of his academic career.

Rosales Zavaleta has been at Brock through the University’s Global Scholars Program since last May and says the program has exceeded his expectations.

“I came with the purpose of working on a research project on sport governance, but found an academic environment that encouraged me to consider different approaches for this specific discipline,” he says.

During his time at Brock, Rosales Zavaleta has been particularly interested in work around safe sport movement. He says the concept is not very well known yet in Peru because of cultural differences, and he is hoping to change that by continuing his research on the topic after connecting with Brock’s Centre for Sport Capacity.

“These research opportunities allowed me to get in contact with prestigious scholars in the sport management field with whom I could trade ideas and expertise, thereby benefiting everyone,” he says.

Rosales Zavaleta was first connected with Brock when Kirsty Spence, Associate Dean, Teaching and Undergraduate Studies and Associate Professor of Sport Management, visited the University of Peru with a group of students on a field trip in 2012.

His mind returned to Brock in 2020 when, in hopes of seeing his university to produce more sport management research, he began looking for an institution that was already producing world-class research on the topic to further his knowledge.

When he reached out to reconnect with Spence, she introduced him to Brock’s Global Scholars Program.

Spence says it was a great match. Since his arrival in May, Rosales Zavaleta has added to Brock’s reputation of being a leader in sport management in Canada, she adds.

“He has definitely impacted the Department of Sport Management in terms of added capacity with respect to scholarly research and teaching work,” says Spence. “Undergraduate sport management students certainly have learned diverse perspectives through their interaction with him. I am also excited to see the seeds we have planted growing toward new partnerships and initiatives between our institutions.”

Brock’s Global Scholars Program came into fruition in 2017, expanding in scope and participation ever since. The program brings visiting faculty and researchers to Brock teach, explore professional development and collaborate on research and academic activities.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Global Scholars program, including criteria and the application process, can visit the Global Scholars Office web page for more information.