Jonathan Noble
The University of Notre Dame will take part in two programs this summer to strengthen cooperation and support the growth of amateur athletics in Chinese higher education.
Assistant Provost for Internationalization Jonathan Noble is scheduled to speak Tuesday (June 7) in Beijing at a signing ceremony between Notre Dame and the Federation of University Sports China (FUSC), inaugurating a Chinese athletic administrator training program on the Notre Dame campus this summer. The signing ceremony is part of the seventh annual U.S.-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange (CPE), a conference to promote and strengthen ties between the United States and China in the fields of education, culture, health, science and technology, sports and women’s issues. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Secretary John Kerry is scheduled to join Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong during the program’s opening remarks. Retired Chinese National Basketball Association great Yao Ming will moderate the conference’s panel discussion, which will also include comments from China’s Vice Minister for Education Hao Ping.
Noble serves as the University’s director of the Beijing Global Gateway, and his research focuses on contemporary Chinese culture and society. “The University of Notre Dame is committed to strengthening human solidarity through excellence in research, education and international cooperation, and is proud to support the shared goals of the CPE to enhance cooperation and mutual understanding between our two countries,” Noble said. “Notre Dame also supports friendship and understanding between the U.S. and China, and we will serve to advance people-to-people exchange in education and athletic programs that will bring our two countries closer together in a shared dedication to education, sportsmanship and well-being.” (Read the full text of Noble’s remarks here.)
On July 5, Notre Dame will welcome a delegation of more than 40 Chinese athletics administrators for a unique month-long study program covering all aspects of Notre Dame athletics and multiple facets of university administration. The group, consisting of university, high school, middle school and education department administrators, will attend multiple daily presentations by members of the Notre Dame athletics department, tour athletics facilities, and observe various sports teams during summer camps.
Co-hosted by Notre Dame International, the Chinese delegation will also hear presentations from university leaders on understanding how a university’s athletics funding model supports its academic mission and workshops on integrating student-athlete recruitment into an overall student enrollment strategy.
Off-campus activities will include a visit to NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis and trips to other local sports and recreational venues.
Contact: Sue Lister, director of media relations, 574-631-7916, sue.lister@nd.edu