IU School of Public Health-Bloomington renews agreement with Beijing Sport University

Leaders from IU and Beijing Sport University

This May, Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie led a university delegation, which included IU School of Public Health-Bloomington Dean Mohammad Torabi, on a trip to Asia to further IU’s strategic focus on key international locations. These partners are important to the university’s long-term mission of global engagement that generates increased academic and research opportunities for IU students and faculty.

On May 23, as part of the delegation's visit to China, leaders from Indiana University and Beijing Sport University renewed a longstanding partnership agreement. The relationship has led to substantial faculty teaching and research collaborations and student exchanges.

Partners since 1989, Beijing Sport University and Indiana University, through the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington, have engaged in joint research collaborations in such areas as sport marketing, high altitude training, and recreation. In 2010–2011, the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington hosted four retired Chinese Olympic champions from Beijing Sport University as visiting scholars.

Beijing Sport University, which just celebrated its 60th anniversary last year, has an amazing athletic tradition as one of the world’s elite sports universities: in the past four Olympic Games alone, students and faculty from the university have won a whopping 30 gold medals, 16 silver medals and nine bronze medals.

At the signing ceremony, Beijing Sport University President Yang Hua spoke glowingly about his university’s longstanding relationship with IU and the School of Public Health-Bloomington (formerly the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation).

Remarkably, the relationship between IU and Beijing Sport University spans four IU presidents and four School of Public Health-Bloomington deans; numerous faculty and student exchanges; and major joint initiatives, including several that helped support Beijing’s successful bid for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Torabi added how strategially important the partnership is, given Beijing Sport University’s expertise and position in sport and recreation. It is home to multiple Chinese national sport teams, allowing Beijing Sport University sport scientists to conduct extensive research related to these athletes. 

President McRobbie talked about how honored he and his colleagues were to be visiting Beijing Sport University on such an auspicious occasion: the celebration of a quarter-century relationship between two universities committed, through the new agreement, to continuing faculty, student and staff exchanges and working together to advance their mutual interest in the important role that sports and physical education can play in public health. 

"This partnership aligns with the School of Public Health-Bloomington’s innovative approach to public health," McRobbie added. "A wealth of research has shown that sport and recreation improve quality of life, mitigate non-communicable diseases, improve mental health, promote youth development, reduce health-related workplace costs and prevent early death."