Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr., vice-president of International Olympic Committee (IOC) and founder of Samaranch Foundation, visited the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) during the Paris Olympics on Aug 1.

IOC Vice-President Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. (center) visits the International Broadcast Centre on Aug 1, 2024.

Accompanied by Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), Samaranch engaged with interns from Beijing International Studies University (BISU).

Yan Hong, deputy director of the International Exchange and Cooperation Office of BISU, spoke with Samaranch about the internship program and expressed gratitude to him and Exarchos, the Samaranch Foundation, the Beijing Olympic City Development Foundation and OBS, highlighting the importance of the internship in broadening the horizons and enhancing the skills of BISU students.

Yan Hong (R), deputy director of the International Exchange and Cooperation Office of BISU, speaks with Samaranch about the Olympics internship program on Aug 1, 2024.

Li Wanze, an intern from BISU, told Samaranch about her internship, saying that the university's training beforehand was useful and that her editing skills have improved. She came to feel the charm of sports and the Olympics by interviewing the athletes and interacting with people from all over the world.

Xiong Hanrui, another BISU intern, said the experience helped him set his mind to become a journalist, adding that shouldering important responsibility in the Olympics is a special and beneficial experience.

Li Wanze, an intern from BISU, talks to Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. about her internship at OBS on Aug 1, 2024.

Xiong Hanrui, an intern from BISU, shares his internship experience with Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. on Aug 1, 2024.

Exarchos praised the performances of the BISU interns and China's broadcasting achievements. He briefed on the overall situation and achievements of OBS, and thanked Samaranch and his foundation for promoting the Olympic spirit.

Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of OBS, praises the work of the BISU interns on Aug 1, 2024.

Samaranch expressed his gratitude for the internship's organization, saying that the Olympic spirit has been passed down from generation to generation. He commended the work of OBS in broadcasting the images of athletes, cities, events and emotions to the world.

He emphasized that the Olympics is a crucial platform for enhancing solidarity among people from different countries, and that the Olympic broadcasting work undertaken by the interns connects the world, contributing to the spread of the Olympic spirit. 

IOC Vice-President Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. talks to BISU interns on Aug 1, 2024.

During the visit, Samaranch exchanged gifts with the interns and posed for photos together. He also toured their work area.

IOC Vice-President Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. takes a group photo with BISU interns on Aug 1, 2024.

In collaboration with the Samaranch Foundation and the Beijing Olympic City Development Foundation, BISU organized the 2024 Paris Olympics student internship program. OBS provided 29 internship positions for BISU students with the support of the IOC, allowing the students to engage in Olympic broadcasting.

From candidate selection to training and comprehensive support of the project, BISU has helped guarantee the smooth operation and high quality of the program.

This was the first time in the IOC history that internship opportunities have been offered to students from a non-host country and one of the largest Olympic internship project for a single university.