Carmen Horvat

Dr. Carmen Horvat is a Lecturer in Sport Management at the University of Northampton under the School of Strategy, Management & International Business. Originally from Slovenia, she combines academic expertise with extensive experience in artistic gymnastics as a former national team member, international judge, and licensed coach. Her research focuses on (elite) sport policy and management within small-state contexts, safeguarding practices, and athlete voice representation in sports governance.

• Education: PhD in Sport Management and Policy (Loughborough University, 2021); MSc in Sport Management (Loughborough University, 2014); Dual BA in Translation, Interpretation, and Pedagogy (University of Maribor, Slovenia).

Her research investigates how small states like Slovenia develop effective elite sport policy systems, focusing on national governing bodies (NGBs) and local clubs. She actively contributes to anti-doping education as part of a WADA-funded international research team.

Recent research outputs include the 2022 International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics article analyzing Slovenia's sport policy system and a 2019 conference abstract applying the SPLISS framework to small-state elite sports. These works span keywords like sport policy, elite sports, small-state governance, and policy analysis.

She leads the internal funded project "Creating a Safeguarding Culture in Gymnastics: Integrating the Athlete Voice" (2024-2025), addressing athlete welfare and conceptual understanding in gymnastics governance.