Building teamwork skills through sport
Among the extra-curricular sports activities offered at Zhejiang University, few have proved quite as popular with students as water sports.
The popularity of the sports is largely attributable to the large investment that ZJU has made in developing an area dedicated solely to aquatic events. Located at Qizhen Lake on the university’s Zijingang campus, classes in water sports are tailored for beginners and intermediate-level learners alike.
Canoeing, kayaking and dragon boat sailing are just some of the sports on offer, in which both students and teachers take part, building teamwork skills, creativity and confidence.
Around 1,000 students regularly take part in water sport classes, where all sports comprise a competitive element in the form of league games and cup finals.
Within the university’s water park, a unique programme of cultural events and activities takes place, which includes a water sports carnival, regular lectures held by visiting international sports men and women, and an annual dragon boat race that allows students to engage in traditional Chinese culture while competing against other universities in pursuit of the prestigious top spot.
The popularity of Zhejiang’s aquatic events is such that it has attracted support from local government and industrial partners alike, as well widespread media coverage and a visiting delegation of sports students from MIT, Georgia State University and other prestigious American institutions.
