CEO of the Russian International Olympic University, Professor Lev Belousov and Deputy Principal of Sheffield Hallam University Cliff Allan have signed the Agreement of cooperation and partnership. Under this document, the parties intend to deliver some joint events on training staff for the XXII Winter Olympic Games and XI Winter Paralympic Games 2014 in Sochi, as well as cooperate in educational and research activities and work on preserving the Games legacy. The Agreement provides students and employees exchange, joint work on developing learning courses, appropriate terms for expert dialogue on current questions of sports industry development, the olympic movement, sports management through holding joint conferences, workshops and training courses.

Lev Belousov claimed that "we pay our special attention to widening international contacts. We are seriously interested in experience exchange with our foreign colleagues to integrate and promote the university on the educational services market. Understanding the up-to-date trends in sports business-education allows us to create our own educational programmes and attract renowned international experts. The sports management department in Sheffield Hallam University has a deservedly high reputation, largely because of its highly qualified staff of teachers. Guy Masterman, the head of this trend, has participated in several RIOU training courses as a lecturer".