UMT and D-JOY officially establish strategic partnership – Expanding practical learning opportunities for the Sports Management program

In the context of the rapid growth of sports, sports entertainment, and wellness industries, the labor market is increasingly demanding professionals who are capable of organizing and operating events, managing communities, developing service businesses, and leading communication activities within the sports sector. This also reflects the educational direction pursued by UMT’s Sports Management program — a practice-oriented approach that enables students to engage early with professional environments and develop strong real-world competencies.

D-JOY is one of the emerging organizations in the sports and entertainment industry, particularly recognized for its comprehensive pickleball ecosystem, which includes sports facilities, training activities, tournament organization, player community development, and sports education programs. In 2026, UMT also became a strategic partner of the D-JOY Tour 2026 pickleball tournament series, creating additional opportunities for students to engage in hands-on experiences within a professional sports environment.

Under the cooperation agreement, UMT and D-JOY will jointly implement several key initiatives:

• Bridging academic learning with industry practice: Both parties will collaborate to integrate real business cases, operational activities, and industry requirements into the learning process, enabling students to gain a deeper understanding of how the sports and entertainment industry is organized, managed, and developed.

• Providing internships, field visits, and career-oriented experiences for students: D-JOY will serve as a practical learning environment where UMT students can observe, practice, support operations, and experience various professional roles, thereby strengthening their readiness for future career opportunities after graduation.

• Co-organizing sports events, tournaments, and community activities: UMT and D-JOY will jointly develop sporting events, tournaments, community programs, and experiential projects to expand practical learning opportunities for students.

• Developing professional training programs and certifications: Both parties will collaborate on researching and developing short-term training programs, professional skill enhancement courses, and certification programs in areas such as sports management, operations, coaching, event organization, and related fields.

• Expanding collaboration opportunities across multiple UMT disciplines: Beyond the Sports Management program, the partnership between UMT and D-JOY also opens opportunities for students in Business Administration, Marketing, Multimedia Communications, Information Technology, Graphic Design, Logistics, and other related fields to participate in internships, projects, and real-world professional activities.

• Strengthening communication, branding, and community engagement: The two parties will cooperate in communication and promotional activities, amplifying the impact of their partnership while jointly fostering a dynamic, professional, and community-oriented sports ecosystem connected to both students and industry partners.

The partnership with D-JOY further reinforces UMT’s commitment to a practice-oriented educational approach. For students of the Sports Management program, this collaboration provides an opportunity to explore the sports industry not only from the perspective of health and physical development, but also as a dynamic professional field offering diverse career pathways in management, operations, event organization, service business development, communications, and sports community engagement.

The signing ceremony between UMT and D-JOY represents not only a significant step forward in university–industry collaboration, but also a strong testament to UMT’s commitment to developing practice-oriented academic programs that respond to societal needs while creating broader development opportunities for students.