Last modified: Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Indiana University's School of HPER strengthens ties with China through agreements
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) at Indiana University has signed or renewed international agreements with six universities in China, including Peking University School of Public Health, Hong Kong Baptist University in Hong Kong, Beijing Sport University and Shanghai Sports University. The School of HPER also renewed an agreement with Taiwan National Sports University.
Robert Goodman (left), dean of the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, signs an agreement with officials from Beijing Sport University.
The agreements are designed to strengthen HPER's and IU's commitment to global public health and international research collaborations, and were signed by the presidents of the respective universities and Robert M. Goodman, dean of the School of HPER. IU President Michael A. McRobbie signed the agreements prior to the trip to the Far East by Goodman, who was accompanied by several associate deans from the School of HPER.
A signing with Chengdu Sport University was postponed due to the devastating earthquake in that region. The delegation from HPER was about to leave Hong Kong for Chengdu three days after the quake hit. Discussions have also been initiated with six additional universities and government agencies in China with which HPER will pursue relationships in the future.
"These agreements offer Indiana University access to other organizations and governmental authorities at the highest levels, and it allows us the opportunity to collaboratively conduct research, education and service to a country that rapidly is striving toward improving public health for a very large and diverse population," Goodman said.
He said IU researchers can learn much from their Chinese colleagues.
"The Chinese consider sports activities, disease prevention and wellness critical components of successful public health programs and many of the university laboratories that we visited are already ahead of our labs in the United States," Goodman said. "We are looking forward to a series of intensive faculty and student exchanges and productive research collaborations to the mutual benefit of both countries."
The HPER delegation was one of the first groups representing Western countries that was given a tour of the just completed basketball facilities for the upcoming Beijing Olympics. The delegation also was given an inside glimpse of the training techniques that the Chinese use for preparing their elite athletes, and saw some of the rehearsals for the Olympics opening ceremony. Goodman noted that "both the training and ceremony preparations are state of the art and the Chinese will be very competitive at the Olympics. This should be a 'wake up call' for those of us who still regard China as an underdeveloped country."
The School of HPER has formal agreements with nearly two dozen institutions of higher learning throughout the globe, including Turkey, China, India, Thailand, Hungary, England, Singapore, Taiwan, Scotland, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Wales and Australia.
For more information, contact Debra Kent at 812-855-3686 and dskent@indiana.edu.
Note to Editor: The School of Health and Physical Education has relationships, or is in the midst of developing relationships, with these Chinese institutions:
- (TAIPEI) National Taiwan Sport University*
- (TAIPEI) National Taiwan Normal University
- (HONG KONG) Hong Kong Baptist University*
- (HONG KONG) Chinese University of Hong Kong School of Public Health
- (CHENGDU) Chengdu Sport University* (Note: We did not visit this site due to earthquake)
- (BEIJING) Beijing Sports University*
- (BEIJING) Peking University School of Public Health*
- (BEIJING) Capital Institute of Physical Education
- (BEIJING) The Chinese University for Youth Political Science
- (SHANGHAI) Shanghai University of Sport*
*denotes existing signed agreements.
