Japan and Bhutan NOCSsign partnershipThe Japanese OlympicCommittee (JOC)recently signed apartnership agreementwith the Bhutan NOCwhich focuses onathlete and coachexchanges and training,as well as sharingexperiences in the fieldof medical science. It also provides for long-term cooperationfor developing andpromoting sportsactivities and theOlympic Movement inBhutan and Japan. It is the first partnershipagreement with other NOCs for theBhutan NOC and the28th for the Japanese NOC.Pupils visited by formerOlympiansThe Dutch NOC hasfacilitated a series oftalks at primary schoolsby former Olympians,who spoke about theirOlympic experiences,while children listed theirfavourite activities andachievements, and builta "wall of fame". Inaddition, 5,000 pupilsfrom 170 schools tookpart in "MissionOlympic",a nationalcompetition celebratingthe Olympic values. Seewww.nocnsf.nl for more.The IOC Olympic Studies Centre (OSC) has launchedthe 2012 Postgraduate Research Grant Programme,intended for young researchers engaged in scholarlyresearch on the Olympic Movement, its history andideals, and the impact of the Olympic Games on thevarious aspects of contemporary society and culture.The main objectives of this programme are toencourage young researchers to undertake researchwith a humanities or social sciences perspective on the Olympic Games; to promote the written andaudiovisual IOC patrimony consultation; and toencourage networking and sharing of informationbetween young researchers from differentdisciplines and cultures. All current postgraduatestudents undertaking a PhD degree and alluniversity professors/lecturers who have completedtheir doctorate or equivalent degree in the past fiveyears and who currently hold an academicappointment are eligible to apply.The Grant Programme Selection Committee iscomposed of experts who are world-renowned fortheir involvement in Olympic studies, and the OSCofficers and professionals. For more information:olympic.org/olympic-studies-centreThe World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) hassigned a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)with the World Customs Organisations (WCO),which will give a significant boost to the fightagainst doping in sport. Signed in the WCO's offices in Brussels (Belgium)on 24 June, this MoU will foster cooperation inactivities of common interest in the areas of anti-doping and trafficking of doping substanceswithin the organisations' respective mandates.OSCLAUNCHES 2012 POSTGRADUATERESEARCHGRANTPROGRAMMEWADASTEPSUPFIGHTAGAINSTDOPINGSERBIAN NOCUNVEILS TEAMMASCOTCOLOMBIANNOCMARKS 75THANNIVERSARYThe Serbian NOC has unveiled an official teammascot for the London 2012 Olympic Games. It will be the first mascot in the team's historyand will help mark the centenary of Serbia's firstparticipation in the Olympic Games, in 1912. The mascot, a baby griffon vulture, was chosenthrough a public competition organised by theSerbian NOC and was created by IvanArandjelovi´c, a young designer from Belgrade.The mascot's name, "Sre´cko" ("Lucky"), waschosen by the public in an online poll. BelowSre´cko will support Serbia's Olympiansat the London 2012 Olympic GamesThe Colombian NOC marked its 75th anniversaryin June with a variety of academic, cultural andsporting activities. These included a meeting onwomen and sport in Cali, the InternationalCongress on Science in Sport in Bogotá, and thecelebration of sport. The Colombian NOCheadquarters also recently hosted a meeting onanti-doping policy led by Jorge Alarcón, Directorof the Doping Office of the Biomedical Centre inColdeportes. The agenda included procedures fortesting athletes and the legal aspects of theseprocedures. The participants included all theNOC's technical staff.In collaboration with the UNICEF office in Albania,the Albanian NOC recently implemented a "sportfor development" project in the Lezha DistrictMunicipality of Balldren. The event broughttogether around 400 students and includedvolleyball, basketball, football, gymnastics andathletics competitions, as well as educational andartistic activities, presentations by the AlbanianRed Cross, and Olympic-themed quizzes. Eachparticipant went away with a diploma. In addition,the Chamber of Commerce and Industry ofAlbania organised the "Children's Fair 2011" inwhich the Albanian NOC took part with apromotional stand. This stand comprised fivesections: Summer and Winter Youth OlympicGames; Olympic education in schools; OlympicDay; sport as a tool for development andeducation; and the London 2012 Olympic Games.Various materials and publications for childrenwere distributed during the three-day fair.ALBANIANNOCIMPLEMENTS SPORT FORDEVELOPMENTPROJECTNEWS INBRIEF20OLYMPIC REVIEW