Changsha, China – March 6, 2025

The 2025 Summit was jointly organized by Hunan Normal University and the University of Lancashire (UK), held on March 5 at the lecture hall of Hunan Normal University’s College of Physical Education. The event was chaired by David Grecic, Director of Research and Innovation at University of Lancashire and attended by faculty members, doctoral researchers, master’s students, and undergraduates.

Professor Zheng Lan, Dean of the College of Physical Education, extended a warm welcome to participants and expressed gratitude for their contributions. She reflected on the college’s achievements in educational philosophy, textbook development, professional training, and international cooperation, while also celebrating the success of its athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Professor Zheng further summarized CUPEST’s achievements in 2024 before officially opening the academic sessions.

David Grecic presented on Sports and Exercise Research Projects, highlighting opportunities for collaboration across physical education and sports science. Clive Palmer (University of Lancashire) followed with Physical Education, Coaching and Sports Pedagogy: From Theory to Practice. International perspectives included Attilio Carraro (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy) on AIESEP and UNESCO Healthy Living, and Efstathies Christodoulides (University of Lancashire, Cyprus) on Physical Literacy Research and Digital Innovation in Sports. Additional contributions came from Francis (University of Seville, Spain), Mannolis Adamakis (University of Athens, Greece), and Biljana Popeska (Goce Delčev University, North Macedonia).

The afternoon program included a lecture by Grecic on Qualitative Research Methods for High-Quality Results and a discussion led by Palmer on PhD supervision strategies. The summit concluded with a CUPEST-focused panel, where experts explored interdisciplinary collaboration, international partnerships, digital and AI applications in sport, and the role of intellectual property in advancing the global sports industry.

This exchange deepened academic ties, fostered cross-border cooperation, and laid the groundwork for innovative solutions to shared challenges in sports education and health promotion.