ITA and UQ officially launch ITA Academic Centre to advance clean sport education, training and research in Australia and Oceania

First announced in November 2025, the partnership between the ITA and UQ has now entered its operational phase, with the ITA Academic Centre beginning the delivery of specialised anti-doping education and training programs in the region. 

As the world’s second ITA Academic Centre, and the first in Australia and Oceania, the centre will provide students, professionals and eligible participants with access to internationally recognised training and certification programs in anti-doping, integrity and athlete wellbeing. These include pathways for doping control officers, blood collection officers, chaperones and clean sport educators, supporting the development of a skilled local workforce capable of contributing to major international sporting events and broader sport integrity initiatives. 

“Partnerships like this are essential to building a strong and sustainable future for clean sport,” said Benjamin Cohen, Director General of the International Testing Agency (ITA). “By bringing together the ITA’s global anti-doping expertise and the University of Queensland’s academic and local leadership, this collaboration will help develop the skills, knowledge and operational capacity needed to support fair, safe and trusted sport in the lead-up to Brisbane 2032 and for years beyond.” 

The launch of the ITA Academic Centre reflects a growing focus on education, prevention and operational preparedness as Australia prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032. The ITA will independently manage the anti-doping program for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games on behalf of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Deborah Terry said the centre would deliver practical outcomes extending far beyond elite sport. 

“As Brisbane prepares to host the world, Queenslanders rightly expect sport that is fair, safe and trusted,” Professor Terry said. “This centre will build a skilled local workforce, help protect athlete health, and ensure the benefits of hosting the Games flow into our communities, schools, hospitals and sporting clubs well beyond 2032.” 

The centre will also support the broader development of clean sport capabilities across Oceania, complementing the ITA’s existing collaboration with Sport Integrity Australia and reinforcing regional expertise in anti-doping operations and education. 

Beyond workforce training, the collaboration will also support applied academic exchange connected to operational anti-doping programs, including curriculum integration, guest lectures from ITA experts and selected research opportunities related to athlete health, integrity and anti-doping operations. 

The University of Queensland has been ranked first in Australia and second globally for sports-related studies for six consecutive years, further strengthening the Academic Centre’s capacity to combine scientific expertise with practical operational learning. 

“The most important legacy of Brisbane 2032 will not only be infrastructure, but people,” Professor Terry said. “Through this centre, UQ is helping ensure Queensland communities benefit from safer sport, skilled jobs, global expertise and a lasting culture of integrity well beyond the Games.” 

The UQ ITA Academic Centre joins the Shanghai University of Sport as part of the ITA’s growing global network of academic partners dedicated to advancing clean sport education and operational capacity worldwide.