Adelaide University partners on landmark China-Australia youth sports exchange

Adelaide University will play a leading role in a new flagship youth engagement initiative between Australia and China, with the China-Australia People-to-People Youth Exchange (CAPYE) Program launched today in Canberra.

The new program provides a structure to grow Australia-China youth connections through shared cultural interests and educational engagement.

Nominated by China’s Ministry of Education through its China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, Adelaide University’s involvement recognises its dedication to students’ participation in sport at recreational and elite level, and its capacity for sport-focused exchanges.

The program’s inaugural initiative will see 20 Adelaide University students and staff visit Nanjing, China, over 7–14 September 2026, to participate in the newly established Sino-Australian Collegiate Rowing and Dragon Boat Friendship Challenge. The students’ visits will be funded through an AUD$4 million sponsorship investment by the China Center for International People-to-People Exchange, covering flights, accommodation and all program support including a dedicated coach.

The launch was attended at the Chinese Embassy in Canberra by Adelaide University’s Pro Vice Chancellor Global Partnerships Ms Lori Hocking and Adelaide University students Izac Nilsen - a 2026 National Rowing Championships silver medallist studying mechanical engineering, and Caroline McNally - who is studying civil engineering and finance and will represent Australia at the World University Rowing Championships in Canada later this year.

Ms Hocking says "Sport provides a powerful and inclusive platform for teamwork, friendship and mutual respect.

"This program will create new opportunities for students to connect through shared experiences, strengthening cross-cultural understanding and the personal ties that are so important to international relationships.

"We acknowledge China’s commitment to these important goals by investing in this new bilateral initiative."

Eligible Adelaide University students will be identified over the coming months in preparation for the race in September, through a selection process led by Adelaide University Sport and Fitness.

The September trip will coincide with a visit to China by Adelaide University Vice Chancellor Professor Nicola Phillips, which aims to deepen education and research collaboration with the University’s Chinese institutional partnerships.

Adelaide University has a long legacy of supporting students in recreational and elite sporting endeavours. It hosts more than 40 sporting clubs – including the Adelaide University Boat Club (established in 1881); an extensive state, national and international intervarsity program; a high-performance sports science hub at the world-class South Australian Sports Institute - the only facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere; and six on-campus gyms.

Adelaide University looks forward to partnering on future CAPYE initiatives and is working with partners to expand opportunities for international student engagement.

Current, enrolled students interested in representing Adelaide University at the Sino-Australian Collegiate Rowing and Dragon Boat Friendship Challenge in 2026 are invited to complete the express of interest.