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[Segment 1] The following program is a special presentation of the Big Ten Network produced
in association with the University of Wisconsin.
Competitive sports in China are developing at a rapid pace and now more than ever, there's a high demand for talent.
So there's a plan in place to send world and Olympic champion athletes and coaches abroad
to study sports management, training, and organization.
So I start to think about maybe we should host this group of athletes at UW Madison.
We are such a great university here and the Beijing Sport University is the best in China
and hosting China's top athletes, their national pride, would be a great signal to send
to the Chinese universities and the Chinese public.
I was approached by one of our faculty members, Li Li Ji, in Kinesiology and he knew I was interested in China,
that I was about to go there, and he came to me and said that he collaborated with Beijing Sport University
and that they had these extraordinary athletes with an interest in coming to the United States to study.
I said here's the program, they're looking for a home
and I think we have the resources and we have the reputation to run this.
And I said immediately "What?
Of course we'll do this!"
This would be just an extraordinary way of building relationships in China
and offering our students and community here something unusual.
With the support of the National Scholarship Council, Beijing Sport University offered this opportunity
and as currently enrolled students in the Beijing Sport University graduate school.
We are very fortunate to have become part of this program.
So this has a long-term impact on the way that they prepare their athletes to function
as a successful individual beyond their athletic life.
We've always had a lot of international students at Madison.
We cherish that.
We want to strengthen and increase it.
But this is unique insofar as it really is focused on a combination of athletics and academics.
The people of Madison and the University of Wisconsin have been extremely enthused, prepared, and helpful.
We have lots of people engaged in this program from University Housing, to the registrar's office,
to the communication office, to Eagle Heights community and of course the international studies so lots
of people are working to make it successful.
The university even went so far as to form a special committee in charge of our lives
and studies here, which is a first in school history.
So we're indeed a special group of students, unlike any other.
Athletics really builds community in a way that virtually nothing else can -
and that we see in the state of Wisconsin every day.
Well the same is true in China.
The athletes who have studied here this semester are icons in China.
They're heroes.
So having an exchange that involves athletes is community building, is a bridge of a unique sort.
UW Madison became the most talked about university in China all of a sudden.
Other than it's great academic programs and beautiful campus now we're known
for our friendship towards the Chinese and towards the Chinese athletes.
There's a lot of opportunity I think to do something unique - something that would be specific to UW Madison
and the Wisconsin idea, meaning it would bring in more than just the university but we could have a presence there
that draws on the resources of the state more broadly and I think that would be fabulous.
Lu Xiudong.
Coach of the Women's National Tae Kwon Do Team.
Most notable students include Chen Zhong, Olympic Champion.
Xie Yong. Coach of the Chinese National Weight Lifting Team.
Most notable students include Zhang Xiangxiang, Olympic Champion.
This program is a production of the University of Wisconsin Madison.
If you have comments about this broadcast please email us at programming@uc.wisc.edu [Segment 2] Luo Xuejuan.
Five-time World Champion Swimmer.
2004 Olympic gold medalist.
100 meter breast stroke.
My name is Rissa Luo.
I'm a swimmer and I've won five World Championships and one Olympic gold medal.
I've recently come to the University of Wisconsin to study for a semester as an exchange student.
Coming here they had to live independently.
They have to integrate into academic courses.
They have to interact with the people.
That's a big challenge.
Having a wife and child, I've definitely been a little homesick, but it's been much better than anticipated
because the school has created a very comfortable setting for us.
In the past I had met with many American athletes who were all very optimistic, confident, open, funny, and lively.
At first I thought it was only because they were athletes but now I realize that everyone here is that way.
One thing we found was very helpful was to put them into Eagle Heights, the graduate student housing.
And so they got a great chance to meet with people.
Since we've been here, the local Chinese community has provided us with a tremendous amount of help and support.
They would invite us into their homes on weekends and would make us feel as if we were part of a big family here.
On the day of our arrival, due to the cancellation of a flight, we had to get to Madison by bus.
We finally got in around midnight and there was still a large group
from the local Chinese community waiting to welcome us.
It was a very very moving scene and certainly an experience to be treasured.
They attend a lot of recreational programs too.
They go hiking, they go biking, go to visit local places and really have a lot of fun on campus.
Many people have said to us, if you want to find the best shops, you go to State Street.
If you want to eat at the best restaurants, you go to State Street.
Also, the famous State Street Halloween party is very intriguing to us.
Seeing all the people dressed up in all sorts of costumes, on their ways to parties, is so much fun and a true way
to experience what Halloween is all about.
In China, I am a coach and teacher, but here I'm just a student.
Every day I get up at seven, go to bed at midnight and spend my entire day studying.
The key element is English as a second language course which they take every day for half a day throughout the program.
As professional athletes all of us have had opportunities to go abroad for competition.
But we've never actually had the opportunity to integrate into Western culture.
Since coming here, I feel there's been a significant breakthrough in my English learning.
To maximize their learning experience we tried our best to equip a translator for each session.
Our teachers have been very kind and accommodating to us.
They would often use Google translate to make their notes into Chinese for us.
They've taken great care of us even in the most minute details.
Other than the ESL they take courses mostly related to sports, physical education, movement.
Nutrition, sports management, sports education, sports training, and sports biochemistry -
these classes exist in China as well and are very systematically taught in college.
But the difference is the way they are taught.
Classes here involve a lot more student interactions and discussions, which inspire you to think more.
You're given more space, whereas in China a teacher would just lecture for forty minutes.
It's much different here where teachers would bring up questions for you to reflect on.
There's a lot of freedom and interaction between teachers and students.
Teachers like to discuss with students and answer their questions.
One thing they always say is, "That's a great question!"
That's what I hear the most.
There's not one standard or one right answer.
It keeps your mind open.
This is a very good method we've learned here.
In America, teachers and students are like friends, while in China it's more of a parents children relationship
where the teachers look after the students; this is the biggest difference.
Xu Yaping.
World Champion Sprint Canoeist.
2002, 2004, and 2006 World Cup Gold Medalist.
Liu Guozheng.
Gold Medalist, Table Tennis Player.
2001 and 2004 World Champions in Team Competition.
[Segment 3] Fu Tianyu.
World Champion Short Track Speed Skater.
Gold medalist 2006, 2008, and 2009 World Championships and the 2008 World Cup.
On September 25th we went to a Badger football game.
It was an extremely unique experience.
80,000 people packed in the stands, all wearing red, expressed their passion and excitement.
Very thrilling.
The passion was beyond my imagination - especially in the participation
of the fans, who became a part of the game itself.
They were overwhelmed by the crowds, by the noise surrounding the stadium.
During the game, Chancellor Martin brought us out onto the football field to greet the crowd
and introduced our entire group and the Chinese Champions program.
By doing so, she really gave us an extraordinarily high honor.
Through football, I was able to appreciate America's passion for sports.
They're also able to blend sports into their entire culture.
We've long heard about America's outstanding sports culture.
So it wasn't a surprise but a little bit of a sense of envy.
Behind the sport and the athletes there is such an incredibly supportive fan base.
They love the team and really treat it as their own - as an integral part of their school.
This, to me, is a big reason for the amazing growth and popularity of American college sports.
From the crowd to the atmosphere everything is so well organized.
The crowd and the players blend together as one.
This is exactly the kind of sports culture I expected to see.
They were truly impressed by the student support for college athletics, which is not present in China.
In comparison, many college sporting events have yet to be started in China.
There is no sports culture or team culture and universities lack this type of cultural sense.
I don't think there are any professional sports academies in the US.
That's why American athletes are not only highly skilled in their sports but also have a very well rounded education.
In the United States there is a system where academics and athletics are integrated.
After graduation from college, student athletes can either choose to continue in their sports professionally
if the opportunity exists or they can go into non-athletic fields and enjoy very successful careers.
In China, this scenario is not yet possible.
Their model is completely different.
In the US we have the student athletes so they're student first, athlete second.
In China, competition is everything.
In China, the emphasis is on winning gold medals and competing well.
Although there are some athletes who are also students concurrently, a lot of us have to go back
to school after retiring from competition.
As professional athletes, most of us indeed hope to learn something from the American system.
The American athletic academic integration is something that China is starting to strive toward.
It is also a direction in which we are starting to reform.
And I think the Chinese recognize that and they are in the process of reforming the system.
This program is really a compensation for the shortcoming of that system.
The semester we've spent here living and studying in the States is very important and meaningful to us because most
of us are currently facing the process of career changes.
Therefore, our studies here will likely play a very helpful role in our future.
And additionally, it will have a potential impact on our career selections as well.
So we're very grateful to the University of Wisconsin for this opportunity.
Ren Jie. Three-Time Olympian shooter.
2004 World Cup Gold Medalist, Air Pistol.
*** Bingyu.
Gold Medalist 2009 World Curling Championship.
Bronze Medalist 2010 Winter Olympics.
[Segment 4] This program is a production of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
If you have comments about this broadcast please email us at programming@uc.wisc.edu.
Sui Jianshuang.
Rythmic Gymnast.
2008 Olympic Silver Medalist.
Team Event Gold Medalist 2002 Asian Games.
We are honored to be here at Wisconsin, which we've experienced since our arrival,
is a world-class university in the truest sense.
The university is comprised of the best teachers from across the country and the best students from across the globe.
To me, this is where the charm of the institution lies.
The university is also the city and the city is also the university.
There is no sense of boundary or restriction.
It is very free and open.
It's like an oil painting with layers of sophistication - also very pragmatic.
Here, we have beautiful surroundings, a great atmosphere, and harmony among the people.
It's also a very safe place to be.
Madison really meets the standard on all of these accounts.
Being a canoeist, I feel a special connection to the beautiful lake we have here on campus.
I felt at home seeing Lake Mendota because my hometown has a similarly sized lake,
West Lake, the most famous lake in China.
It's a wonderful feeling to see this body of water here in Madison.
Other than beautiful surroundings, UW's 150 year history and culture, built upon the hard work
of many, deeply impressed and attracted me.
I have long heard of the rich history and culture of UW.
But not until having gotten here did I truly start to understand and appreciate it.
In class we were introduced to a concept formulated by a former university president,
which says the university should serve and influence society.
The Wisconsin idea also became one of the most influential concepts in the history of American education.
So I can see that UW has a very deeply rooted tradition of university culture.
This place has created so many memories for me.
The football team, the atmosphere, and Bucky Badger all left deep impressions.
This is the place where I lived and studied.
The most important aspect is the great academic setting.
I would love to be able to send my children here to study in the future.
What I'll miss most are the friends I made here at the University of Wisconsin, including the Chinese community,
and all my teachers, whose attention and support I'll never forget.
I'm really going to miss the experience of being here.
I'm positive that these memories will continue to reside in our hearts and in our minds for many, many years to come.
We are very fortunate to have a very nice group - not only successful athletes, but a very nice group of people.
And they have been so generous with their time and their attention.
They've not refused to do any of the millions of things we've asked of them and meanwhile have studied hard
and used their time well for their own purposes.
To the people of China I'd say you have a right to be extraordinarily proud
of these young people and thank you for sending them.
The good news is recently Chancellor Martin made it clear that she wants to continue with the program
with the joint effort of UW Madison and Beijing Sport University.
We just signed an agreement with Beijing Sport University to extend the program at least for three years
and that means a lot to the university and a lot to the bridge we want to build with the people of China.
This is a major milestone for the Chinese to reform the system and also very much fit
into the government's initiative that athletes are not just to get gold medals but also to prepare them
to be useful individuals for the society and also successful individual in the society.
When I went to visit Hong Kong University of Science and Technology it was like being in a Big Ten meeting.
The provost had just come from Michigan.
There were two deans - one from Iowa and one from Purdue - just a wonderful image and reminder
of what global collaboration and cooperation and exchange and interaction means for universities and the rest
of the world so I'd say let's be in the world.
The preceding program was produced by the University of Wisconsin in association with the Big Ten Network.