Nurturing resilience: Physical Education and the CUHK spirit
From first-year PE courses to elite competition — how CUHK’s holistic approach to sport nurtures character, belonging and sustainable fitness
11 September 2026
When CUHK alumni cross paths, two questions often follow the initial greetings: “Which College were you in?” and “Which PE class did you take?” The answer might be running, swimming, dance, tai chi or team games. Yet the memory is rarely just about the activity itself. It is also about the sweat shared, the friendships formed, and the resilience built together that goes far beyond the field.
As the only university in Hong Kong with a compulsory, credit-bearing Physical Education (PE) course for all first-year undergraduates, CUHK holds a distinctive position in the city’s higher education landscape. PE is regarded not simply as exercise, but as part of a liberal education that develops character, community and the capacity to face challenges with courage.
“Physical education is an integral part of CUHK’s whole-person education,” says Dr Elean Leung Fung-lin, Director of the Physical Education Unit (PEU). “Through PE courses, we hope to awaken students’ motivation, confidence and knowledge about sport, strengthen their interpersonal skills, and help them learn how to handle success and failure, work in teams and face challenges.”
A seed for life
For many students, the first-year PE course is their last structured opportunity to learn about sport before entering the workforce. The aim is therefore not merely to teach techniques, but to help students develop physical literacy, i.e. the motivation, confidence and knowledge to stay active throughout life, the “seed” that the University hopes to plant in every student.
That seed can grow in unexpected ways. Dr Leung recalls students who initially struggled to run 400 metres. “Gradually, as the lessons progressed, and with the warm encouragement of their classmates, they learned proper running techniques and how to manage their cardiopulmonary pacing,” she says. “Before long, they were easily handling the 1,600-metre run. Eventually, they started running all the way out to the Hong Kong Science Park with their classmates, or even entered and completed a public 10km race.”
For CUHK, such a transformation from exercising reluctantly to discovering the enjoyment of movement is a central measure of success. It is also increasingly critical in a time when students face intense academic and digital pressures. “After major public health crises such as SARS and COVID-19, it is even more important to emphasise the habit of regular exercise and to build strong bodies to face future challenges,” Dr Leung says.
A sense of belonging through sport
Physical education at CUHK is closely connected to the University’s collegiate system. Inter-college competitions, recreational activities, emerging-sports fun days and inter-university contests give students opportunities to represent their College and university, while strengthening relationships across the campus.
The experience can be both demanding and deeply communal. “Students train and compete hard to vie for glory for their College and the University, undaunted by hardship,” Dr Leung explains. “This sense of belonging endures long after they leave campus. Graduates voluntarily give back to their alma mater, passing the torch from one generation to the next.”
Supporting dual-career athletes
Student-athletes are an important part of this wider PE ecosystem. Through the Student-Athlete Learning Support and Admission (SALSA) Scheme, talented athletes can gain admission based on their sporting achievements while receiving designated academic support and an extended maximum period of study. The arrangement caters to their unique needs for balance in both academic and athletic endeavours.
Support continues after admission. Coaches and coordinators meet student-athletes regularly, while regular updates on training and competition plans help the PEU respond to changing needs. Academic support comes in various forms, including flexible study planning, reduced study loads when necessary, learning resources for students who miss classes because of competitions, individual academic consultation and tailored assessment arrangements.
Student-athletes can also draw on peer mentors, selected according to academic major, College affiliation or sporting background. Meeting regularly, mentors, including alumni and senior students, share practical experience about study, personal development and university life. Individual counselling and workshops provide further support in mental health, time management and campus adjustment.
The physical side of development is supported through CUHK’s sports medicine services, including medical consultations, clinical sports trainer sessions, injury-prevention advice, rehabilitation guidance and on-field support. Scholarships, such as Elite Athlete, Sports Excellence and Sports Performance Scholarships, provide additional assistance.
Dr Leung describes the support network as extending well beyond administration: “Sometimes we are their coaches, sometimes their teachers, sometimes their counsellors, and at times, we are almost like family.”
The outcomes are reflected in achievements across table tennis, swimming, athletics, karate, squash, wushu, para-badminton and other sports. CUHK student-athletes and alumni have risen to the challenge at the National Games, Asian Games, Olympics and Paralympics, bringing home medals from the world’s biggest stages, while university teams continue to perform strongly in inter-university contests. In 2025–26, 28 CUHK teams placed in the top three among the 39 competitions organised by the University Sports Federation of Hong Kong, China (USFHK), including 14 champions. With the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 commencing later this month, the CUHK community eagerly awaits the next feat of its outstanding athletes.
Sport for everyone
Elite achievement, however, is only one aspect of CUHK’s approach. The PEU also seeks to engage students who may not consider themselves athletic. Emerging-sports activities, sports-partner initiatives, campus fitness challenges and inter-college competitions provide accessible entry points for students with different abilities and interests. The purpose is not to turn every student into a competitor, but to help each person find an activity that can become part of a healthy and sustainable life.
Looking ahead, the PEU is extending into sports science and AI for movement analysis, competition strategy and personalised exercise prescriptions, alongside plans to include AED certification in PE courses as an important dimension of community service and safety.
“Sport is not only physical training; it is also the cultivation of resilience and character,” Dr Leung says. “I sincerely invite everyone to participate actively, to learn respect and cooperation through challenges, and together to create a fulfilling and balanced active life.”
At CUHK, physical education is more than a requirement. It is a way of learning, connecting and growing. It nurtures the spirit of an active, balanced life — a gift for students that lasts a lifetime.
By Wong Chi-shing
Photos by Steven Yan
