A working meeting was held via videoconference between representatives of the Volga Region University of Physical Education, Sports, and Tourism and Mr. Li Pan, Director of the Football Institute at Chengdu Sport University.
The university was represented at the meeting by Andrey Nazarenko, Vice-Rector for Research and International Affairs; Alexey Zverev, Director of the Research Institute of Physical Education and Sports; Valery Pokaninov, Head of the Department of Football and Hockey Theory and Methodology; and faculty and research staff.
Chengdu Sport University, located in Sichuan Province, is one of China's leading sports universities. It is renowned for its achievements in gymnastics, martial arts, and weightlifting, and is also recognized as an authority in sports medicine and the use of traditional Chinese medicine for the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries.
In 2024, the university signed an agreement with the China Football Association to establish a football institute (academy) on its premises to train elite football players. The unit was established to improve the quality of football training and develop a talent pool for the Chinese football system.
During the meeting, the parties discussed key areas of cooperation: joint research in football theory and methodology, sports physiology, and motor biomechanics, as well as organizing joint research and practical events involving leading experts and practicing coaches.
Furthermore, they outlined plans for developing academic mobility—implementing mutual internships and student, postgraduate, and faculty exchanges between universities. At the end of the meeting, they emphasized the importance of developing joint methodological materials and programs aimed at improving the training of personnel in football education and sports science.
“The development of international cooperation with leading sports universities is one of the priority areas of activity of the Volga Region University, helping to improve the quality of education, expand scientific horizons and strengthen positions in the global academic space,” said Andrey Nazarenko, Vice-Rector for Research and International Activities.
