The year 2017 has seen UCFB making strides in China to aid the growth of sports education in Asia.
By sending students and staff to the country to assist partners, UCFB has run a number of classes and programmes in the region to aid the development of individuals wanting to work in the sports industry, as well as taster sessions for those interested in undertaking a degree at either of UCFB’s UK campuses.
Below are just some of the events and activities UCFB has been involved in this year…
Shanghai Summer School – Wushu Programme
Three UCFB students were granted the opportunity this summer to spend a month in China to take part in the Shanghai Summer School Wushu and Table Tennis Programme, hosted by Shanghai University of Sport.
Nikesh Shah, Raven Chapman and Cathal McGivern spent the summer in Asia and didn’t let the blistering Shanghai heat stop them from enjoying and exploring new cultures and opportunities.
The programme enabled the trio to take in traditional Chinese culture through a series of courses, including learning parts of the Chinese language as well as attending classes that taught them shooting skills and calligraphy. Outside of classes, the students toured the city of Shanghai to get a feel of the city’s history.
The Wushu and Table Tennis Programme was taking place for the seventh year in a row.
Two UCFB Master Coaching Programmes – Zhenzhou No.9 High School
The Master Coaching Programme was just one part of the UCFB Youth Elite Programme, sponsored by the Youth Campus Football Leadership Team Office of the Zhengzhou Education Bureau, and jointly organized by Zhengzhou No. 9 High School and UCFB. During the two-week programme two Premier League Academy coaches, Kevin Braybrook and James Orvis, visited the school and worked as the programme lecturers.
Following the programme, a graduation ceremony was held and conducted by UCFB director Paul Fletcher and director of football operation Jason Blake, where both signed an agreement with the principal of the school to officially launch the Youth Elite Programme.
Later in the year, a second programme was held where 60 football coaches were recruited for the programme, which was again delivered by Braybrook and Orvis.
UCFB Deloitte Executive Education Taster Day – Shanghai
This event was jointly hosted by UCFB and Deloitte Sports and was held at the Deloitte Shanghai headquarters. With full support from Shanghai Sports Bureau, the British Consulate General in Shanghai and the British Chambers of Commerce and British Council, it was attended by a number of football and sports industry stakeholders including: Jim Frayling, director of business development at Wembley Stadium; David Percival, managing director of Deloitte (China) International Business Development; Nikki Wang, director of Deloitte (China) Sports Business Development, and UCFB’s Jason Blake.
CEIBS Global Sports Summit – Shanghai
Paul Fletcher, Jason Blake and Jim Frayling participated in the CEIBS Global Sports Summit and talked with a number of executives and students from the Chinese sports industry.
British Chamber seven-a-side football tournament – Shanghai
As a member of Shanghai British Chamber of Commerce, and as sponsors of the event, UCFB provided branded bibs and footballs for the tournament.
International Forum of National Football Development – Chengdu
Jason Blake was invited to attend the forum and delivered a themed speech called ‘Soccer Development of UCFB’.
