Olympic Studies Centres (OSCs) are valued as an important link between the Olympic and academic worlds. The Olympic Studies Centre at the German Sport University Cologne (OSC Cologne) was founded in 2005 and was established as a central research and teaching facility in compliance with section 20 of the Federal Higher Education Act.

The forerunner of the OSC was the Carl und Liselott Diem Archive (CuLDA), which still exists as part of the current OSC. The OSC Cologne follows the tradition of the CuLDA in conducting research and delivering teaching about the Olympic Movement, Olympic Sport and the Olympic Games on a national and international level.

The profile of the OSC Cologne meets the expectations of a modern university landscape and its current activities in research, teaching, consulting and archival work are examples of how the key objectives of the OSC Cologne can be met. The activities are the following:

• Transfer of academic knowledge on the Olympic Movement into the Olympic world through the international part-time programme M.A. Olympic Studies;
• Development and expansion of research studies, information and documentation within the research centre;
• Creating synergies in teaching, researching and consulting activities amongst national and international OSCs;
• Strengthening links between the OSC Cologne and institutions linked to the Olympic Movement on the national and international level.