The College of Physical Education at Zhengzhou University of Light Industry traces its origins back to the Sports Teaching and Research Section, which was first established in 1995. In 2007, the Department of Sports was formed, marking the first enrollment of undergraduate students in the major of Social Sports Guidance & Sport Management. Then, it was renamed the College of Physical Education in 2015.
The college comprises one department (Department of Social Sports Guidance & Sport Management), three sections (Public Sports Teaching and Research Department I, Public Sports Teaching and Research Department II, and Section of Sports and Health Teaching and Research), and six centers (Center for Physical Fitness Promotion, Center for Physical Fitness Testing, Center for Sports Training, Center for Facility Management, Center for Smart Sports Technology, as well as Center for Experimental and Practical Teaching). The college undertakes the teaching of P. E. classes for all the university’s undergraduate and graduate students, organizes physical fitness tests for college students, manages mass sports activities, and oversees the intramural and intercollegiate sports team training and competitions. Currently, the college offers one undergraduate major in Social Sports Guidance & Sport Management and one master’s program in Sports and Physical Education. There are 257 students currently enrolled.
The College of Physical Education has 65 faculty members, among them 11 hold doctoral degrees. The faculty comprises 6 full professors, 11 associate professors, and 8 advisors for master’s students. A top-notch teaching faculty, led by highly qualified and educated talents with young faculty as the core, has been established. The faculty’s doctoral education level is rising, teaching and research capabilities are steadily improving, and innovation skills have significantly increased. Over the years, many outstanding faculty members have received various honors.
The College of Physical Education has one provincial first-class course, “College Physical Education,” and has won a special prize for teaching achievements in Henan Province. It has set up a provincial-level teaching, research, and Demonstration Center for College Physical Education Courses and the Inheritance Base for “Central Plains Martial Arts,” recognized as one of Henan Province’s excellent traditional Chinese cultural inheritance bases. Faculty members have led and participated in 4 national social science fund projects and over 40 projects funded by the Ministry of Education, General Administration of Sport, Henan Provincial Philosophical and Social Science Planning, and Henan Provincial Science and Technology Department. The college has received two provincial philosophical and social science outstanding achievement awards, published over 30 papers in core sports journals like “Sports Science” and “China Sports Science and Technology,” and authored over 20 academic works, with a total funding of over 3 million yuan.
Over the years, the successive leadership of Zhengzhou University of Light Industry has attached great importance to school sports work. With the diligent efforts of sports teachers and active participation of all students, the school’s sports endeavors have achieved remarkable results. It has successively been honored with titles such as “Advanced Unit of National Mass Sports Work,” “Advanced Unit for Implementing the ‘Regulations on School Sports Work’” and “Advanced Unit for Sports Standards Achievement.” At the 11th Henan Provincial Sports Games, it won the “President’s Cup” honor in the college student group.
The college emphasizes strengthening external connections and promoting cooperation and exchanges. It has invited renowned sports coaches and experts from both domestic and international institutions to give lectures on campus. It has engaged in cooperation and exchange project negotiations with Jedrzej Sniadecki Academy of Physical Education and Sport in Gdansk in Poland and collaborated with the University of Almería in Spain to offer specialized courses such as “Sports and Health,” “Analysis of Athletic Performance,” and “Basic Spanish and Spanish Sports” for students majoring in Social Sports Guidance and Management.
The College of Physical Education places equal emphasis on teaching and research, strives to create distinctive educational features, continuously improves the quality of education and the level of school operation, and works tirelessly towards building a high-level university with distinct characteristics.