Ibrahim Erkan

 Class: 2014

 Name: Ibrahim Erkan

 Nationality: Turkish, Swedish

 Current Job: Director, Sports at Euroleague Basketball

What makes this program special?

This program gives you a hands-on experience and detailed insight into the best European Basketball Organization. It combines quality academic resources together with the knowledge of an organization that carried European Basketball into the next stage.

Why did you choose this program?

I wanted to improve my knowledge on sports management and thought this program would give me a better idea on how to make a career in the world of basketball and sports.

Would you recommend this master’s program and why?

I would recommend it to individuals who are willing to learn more about the sports industry and gain insight into one of the more successful professional sports leagues in the world. When you get to meet the professionals and listen to their stories on how they built the Euroleague Basketball from its early days into the exciting and competitive professional organization that it is today; you get a better understanding of the whole system and how it works. The program gives you a better perspective from the eyes of the organizer and the business aspect of basketball in particular but all sports in general. It also gives you a chance to connect to a network within the sports community.

 

“That is a very fun part of the program where every year all Alumni of EB Institute who could make it to the Final Four get together for broadening the network and getting to know each other better which definitely comes in handy at any time in the future.”

 

Tell us about your highlights in the program?

My best memories from the program are from the 2014 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Milano. We got to see all the details of a top-level sporting event up close while getting a chance to meet many valuable speakers who were all major names in the world of sports.

I also made some good friends from within the program who were either employed at the time or were later employed by other professional organizations within sports and basketball in particular.

Which 3 words would describe your experience with the master’s program best?

Enlightening, thought provoking and exciting

Who supported and motivated you the most on your journey?

I was really motivated myself to learn as much as possible and make the most out of the program.

Which transfer of knowledge caught your complete attention?

How each type of sport had their own club and national team competition systems, and how unique basketball is in this matter compared to other main stream sports.

Tell us about the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four?

From the sports perspective; witnessing the best four teams in the 2013-14 season compete for the championship with their hardcore fans in the stands with a surprising final result was great.

One also gets to see about the inner workings and countless details of a big sporting event such as the Final Four and how there are so many minute and complicated aspects that need to come together in the end in order to make the final product what the spectators and TV viewers are enjoying.

In my year, we also had a chance to meet professionals from the NBA, Spalding, The European Handball Federation, New Era and a couple of other very important individuals who all had very valuable information about many aspects of the world of sports from marketing, management, future visions to equipment details.

Tell us about the Alumni dinners at the Final Four?

That is a very fun part of the program where every year all Alumni of EB Institute who could make it to the Final Four get together for broadening the network and getting to know each other better which definitely comes in handy at any time in the future.

Tell us about the Alumni Network – are you doing business with any Alumni?

I always come across situations where my EB Institute Alumni network comes in handy and helps with solving problems or answering questions which otherwise would be a real problem.

Tell us about the job you were in before studying the master’s program, and the job you have now after you finished the course?

Before the program I was a partner in a start-up basketball oriented sports services company and now I am the International Relations and Operations Director of the Turkish Basketball Federation.