TONGJI University held the unveiling ceremony of its International Football Academy yesterday.
The academy will start enrollment next year. Its aim is to build a systematic education mode to cultivate football industry talents for China.
According to a primary plan, the academy will set undergraduate majors like sports training and social sports management. Postgraduate majors include sports teaching, humane and the sociological science of sports.
The academy is expecting to enroll 200 to 250 undergraduates and 150 postgraduate students in its first year. The plan is yet to be approved by the supervising authority.
“We have spent years to prepare for the football academy,” said Zhong Zhihua, president of Tongji University.
Graduates will be working in various aspects of the football industry. “It’s our hope to build Tongji International Football Academy into China’s top football academy,” he added.
Football has been a tradition for Tongji — its student teams have won both national and Asian titles.
“Now I feel like going to college too,” former Chinese national team captain Fan Zhiyi said at the unveiling ceremony.
Former Chinese national team head coach Zhu Guanghu, former women’s national team head coach Ma Liangxing and some retired players also attended the ceremony.　（By Ma Yue）
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/metro/education/Tongji-goes-for-goal-on-football/shdaily.shtml