Academic Team

1. Faculty:

The department currently has 63 faculty members, including 14 professors (5 tenured), 36 associate professors (1 tenured), 9 lecturers (1 assistant professor), and 4 teaching assistants. Among them, 19 hold doctoral degrees (6 obtained abroad, 3 from Tsinghua University), 24 hold master's degrees, and 20 hold bachelor's degrees. The structure of professional titles and academic qualifications is well-balanced, with a high proportion of professors (22.2%) among the total faculty. The second-level discipline of Physical Education is divided into four research areas: Sport Humanities and Sociology, Exercise and Sport Science, Physical Education and Sport Coaching, and Traditional Chinese Sports. The faculty strength is relatively balanced across these areas, each led by a discipline leader who guides its development.

2. Featured Research Areas:

① University Sports and the Integration of Sports and Education

② Physical Fitness and Sport Training Monitoring

③ Sports and Social Behavior

④ Exercise and Health Management

⑤ Sports and Chinese Culture

Research Achievements

1. Overview of Achievements

Over the past decade, the discipline of Physical Education has yielded abundant research achievements. It has secured both major and key projects from the National Social Science Fund of China, with research projects spanning various levels, including National Key R&D Programs, Beijing Municipal Philosophy and Social Science Projects, Ministry of Education Humanities and Social Science Projects, and projects from the General Administration of Sport of China. The quality of published works has continuously improved, receiving multiple accolades such as the Second Prize of the Award for Outstanding Achievements in Scientific Research in Higher Education Institutions by the Ministry of Education and the Second Prize of the Beijing Municipal Award for Outstanding Achievements in Philosophy and Social Sciences. The number and quality of SCI/SSCI papers and papers in core journals have been increasing year by year. In the fourth round of the China Discipline Ranking, Tsinghua's Physical Education discipline received a B+ rating, ranking first among physical education disciplines in comprehensive universities.

2. Featured Achievements:

Achievement 1: The "Integration of Sports and Education" model for cultivating reserve talent in competitive sports.

Since 1994, the university has adopted the "Integration of Sports and Education" model to develop high-level sports teams, achieving remarkable results and earning the moniker the "Tsinghua Model. Through in-depth research and continuous improvement, the "Tsinghua Model" has achieved original and groundbreaking results in both theory and practice. In 2019, at a symposium of the State Council, the department was the first to propose research into a "model for cultivating reserve talent in competitive sports with Chinese characteristics for a new era, namely the "Integration of Sports and Education Model, and successfully secured a key project from the National Social Science Fund in 2020.

Achievement 2: The theory, empirical evidence, and development trends of China's sport and health policies.

This is the result of a key project of the National Social Science Fund, A Study on the Economic Benefits of Physical Activity among Urban Elderly, and a major project of the National Social Science Fund, A Study on the Synergistic Innovation of Medical and Sport Integration in Building a Healthy China and a Strong Sports Nation. Combining theory with empirical evidence, this achievement provides an in-depth study from the perspective of using physical activity and health policymaking to intervene in physical activity behavior, addressing how to solve the current global and domestic problems of physical inactivity and the burden of chronic diseases.

Achievement 3: Neurological and physiological mechanisms of speed training and their practical applications.

Based on the outstanding achievements of Tsinghua's sprint training practices, this research summarizes the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the development of speed ability by focusing on the physiological mechanisms, biomechanical performance, and brain structure and function characteristics associated with different training methods for improving speed. Related findings have also been applied to the training practices of pilots, astronauts, and special forces personnel. A research team focused on speed ability training has been formed, providing support for enhancing speed-specific abilities in China's sports field in the future.

Achievement 4: Mechanisms and practices of physical activity behavior and health promotion in children and adolescents.

This achievement focuses on the pressing social issues of rising obesity rates and insufficient physical activity among children and adolescents in China. It investigates the causes of childhood obesity from the perspectives of gene protein expression, physiological mechanisms, and behavioral manifestations. Based on these findings, it designs and develops relevant intervention measures, which are then validated using scientific methods. This work plays a positive role in promoting healthy behaviors among Chinese children and adolescents and improving the nation's overall health level.

Achievement 5: Drivers, approaches, and strategies of contemporary Chinese sports reform.

Based on an analysis of the formation mechanisms and variability of sports functions, as well as the supply-demand mismatch and reform directions in China's current sports development, this work conducts in-depth research on reforms in specific areas such as Chinese Wushu, Chinese football, the Olympic legacy, sporting goods, and sports agency. This achievement helps people understand the logical starting point of sports reform, grasp the core issues and breakthrough methods of China's current sports reform, and reflect on reform strategies in various specific fields.