On November 23 at Zhuoyu Auditorium, Shen Jingsi, a notable educator from the Department of Physical Education and Health of the School of Health Humanities of Peking University, and a celebrated women’s volleyball world champion was invited to give a lecture themed with “Promoting the Fighting Spirit of the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team: A Champion’s Journey”. This lecture serves to study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (the Thought), deepen the integration of sports and education, as well as maximize the role of Sports Culture in enhancing ideological and political education. It was co-hosted by CUEB Party Committee Student Affairs Department and the Sports Department, presided over by Liao Yangang, a teacher of the Sports Department and over 700 students were present.

Shen’s lecture brought to life the core values of the Chinese women’s volleyball spirit: patriotism, teamwork, resilience, and perseverance. She shared her own experiences as a volleyball player, the development of the Chinese women’s volleyball team, and the significant role of the young in building a leading sporting nation.

Shen captivated the audience with her personal volleyball story with photographs. She spoke of her early passion for sports, nurtured by her mother who was also engaged in sports work, which helped her build up good physical fitness. During the elementary school years, her remarkable height and talent for volleyball earned her a spot on the city team, setting her on the path to a distinguished volleyball career. Her story is a testament to dedication and commitment. After years of intense training and rigorous selection, she keeps working for the Chinese women’s volleyball team, and unwaveringly resolves to bring honor to her hometown and the country.

She took the students through the history of Chinese women’s volleyball team and highlighted its spirit. She said, the team’s triumphs at the 2015 World Cup and the 2016 Rio Olympics, marked by incredible comebacks, exemplify not only skills and willpower but also the countless hours of rigorous training, which fully epitomized the fighting spirit of the Chinese women’s volleyball team.

Drawing inspiration from a letter by President Xi Jinping to the 2016 Champion Class at Graduate School of Beijing Sport University, Shen emphasized the crucial role of youth in building a leading sporting nation. She mentioned that sports carry the dreams of national prosperity and revitalization, playing a crucial role in the fulfillment of the Chinese Dream. She also encouraged the students to integrate women’s volleyball spirit into their ethos and forge ahead with enterprise and fortitude in study and life.

The discussion session with Shen witnessed positive engagement from the students. Shen further introduced volleyball techniques, physical training, and the deeper meaning of the spirit. The event concluded with a memorable group photo.

This Lecture is one of the education campaigns themed “Studying and Implementing the Thought. In this term, the Party Committee Student Affairs Department will invite experts and scholars to give lectures on themes like patriotism, Chinese classics, and refined arts. These efforts are sure to improve students’ knowledge, enhance their comprehensive quality, and enrich their after-school lives, thus giving great momentum to their future development and success.