At the invitation of Professor Muraoka Isao, Dean of Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Japan, Professor Yuan Lei, Dean of Physical Education College, Jilin University, paid a friendly visit to Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University from January 17^th to 22^nd, 2011. During the visit, Yuan Lei systematically inspected the sports talent training model, planning, campus environment construction and educational concepts of Waseda University, and visited modern training venues and high-end laboratories of sports neuroscience, sports nutrition and sports biomechanics.

    Jilin University and Waseda University established an inter-university relationship in 1997. Since Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University and Physical Education College, Jilin University share common characteristics and attributes of establishing a physical education college in a comprehensive research university, both sides agreed that it is very important to establish an exchange relationship between the colleges. With concerted efforts of various parties, Yuan Lei and Muraoka Isao signed a long-term comprehensive cooperation agreement between Physical Education College, Jilin University and Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University on academic exchanges, exchange visits of teaching stuff and cultivation of doctoral students on January 18^th, 2011.

    Since 2002, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (equivalent to China’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology) has been implementing the GCOE (Global Center of Excellence) program. GCOE is a science and education program aimed at building a base for the world’s highest level of education, scientific research and leading creative talent cultivation on the basis of the structural reform policy of Japanese universities. Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University joined the GCOE program in June 2009. It was the only one to join this program among disciplines of physical education in Japan. Centering around the health of adolescents, the lifestyle of middle-aged and elderly people, the prevention of aging diseases and exercise therapy, the development of sports science, and the cultivation of innovative talents, this program cooperated with competitive universities around the world to establish education, research and talent training bases. At present, the program has established partnerships with German Sport University Cologne, University of Calgary, Loughborough University in the UK, the University Alliance in the US, and Chinese universities including Tsinghua University and Jilin University, etc. Therefore, young teachers under the age of 30 with a Master’s degree and students who graduate in July this year from Physical Education College, Jilin University, after passing the interview in April, can directly enter Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University in September to study for the Doctor’s degree. The tuition and living expenses during the study period will be funded by the GCOE program. What is more inspiring is that Physical Education College, Jilin University joined in the high-level discipline construction of Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University through GCOE program, which surely promoted its development in an all-round way.

    Yuan Lei’s visit to Japan was the first time that Physical Education College established a formal exchange relationship with a foreign university over the past 10 years since its establishment, which would lay a solid foundation for Physical Education College to be more international and move towards a higher level.