History and Growth

The School of Physical Education at Nanchang University was established in 2019. Its historical roots can be traced back to the Military and Physical Education Department of Jiangxi Medical College (1953–2005), the Physical Education Teaching and Research Section of Jiangxi University (1958–1993), and the Physical Education Teaching and Research Section of Jiangxi Institute of Technology (1958–1993).

In 2002, the university launched its undergraduate program in Physical Education and began enrolling students. In June 2003, the Physical Education Department was dissolved and replaced by the newly established Department of Physical Education, which was placed under the newly formed School of Education. In 2015, the School of Education was renamed the School of Physical Education and Education. Finally, in 2019, the independent School of Physical Education at Nanchang University was officially established.

The School currently offers two undergraduate programs: Physical Education and Sports Training. Among these, the Sports Training program has been designated as a National First-Class Undergraduate Program Development Initiative and recognized as a “Five-Star Program” by Jiangxi Province. The School holds authorization for two first-level master’s degree programs—Physical Education and Sports—and also hosts a second-level doctoral program in Sports Culture.

Nanchang University was approved by the Ministry of Education in 2002 as a pilot institution for high-level sports teams. Currently, the university has seven Ministry-approved high-level competitive teams in men's football, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's volleyball, women's volleyball, tennis, and track and field. Additionally, it maintains ten university-level elite teams in taekwondo, swimming, badminton, table tennis, rowing, and other sports.

In recent years, students from the School have won more than 10 world championships at events such as the World Championships and the Asian Games, and have secured over 130 national titles at major domestic competitions including the National Games, the National Student Games, and the Chinese University Championships. The university was awarded the “President’s Cup”—the highest honor in Chinese collegiate sports—in both 2017 and 2021.

The School boasts a well-structured and comprehensive faculty team, primarily composed of dynamic mid-career and young core teachers. It currently employs 68 full-time faculty members, including 23 master’s supervisors and 3 doctoral supervisors. Among them are 13 professors and 37 associate professors. The faculty includes 19 PhD holders—six of whom earned their degrees abroad—and six doctoral candidates, as well as one postdoctoral researcher. The School is also home to four international-level referees and thirteen national-level referees.