From September 28 to 29, the 2024 Experiential Education International Forum and Experiential Education Product Design Competition were successfully held at Wuhan Sports University. With the theme of “Cross-Domain Integration and Innovation: Experiential Education in New Scenarios,” experts, scholars, and industry leaders from both China and abroad gathered to jointly plan and explore innovative paths for deeply integrating experiential education with industries such as outdoor recreation, cultural tourism, and others, against the backdrop of high-quality development in the new era.
Wang Zhiqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of WHSU, announced the opening ceremony. More than 400 participants, including relevant professional teachers, students, outdoor sports enthusiasts, and heads of relevant functional departments from over 100 universities and enterprises both domestically and internationally, attended the opening ceremony.
During the keynote speech session, experts including Iain Peter, Executive Director of Outward Bound International, Jeff Baierlein, International Advisor on High-Risk Tourism Regulations; Qian Junwei, Director of the Department of PE at Peking University; Liu Yong, Professor at Sichuan Tourism University; Judy Blaine, Research Fellow at the University of Hong Kong; and Nick Cotton, Executive Director of the Outward Bound Hong Kong, delivered fascinating presentations on the following topics: “The Uniqueness of Outward Bound and Proof of Its Effectiveness,” “Risk Management in Experiential Education,” “The Practical Landscape and Advancement Path for High-Quality Development of Experiential Education in the Digital and Intelligent Era,” “Rural Areas, Sports, and Tourism: Experiential Education Practice and Theory under the Host-Guest Interaction Theory,” “Outward Bound in Hong Kong: Why It Remains Important After 55 Years,” and “Reflection and New Trends: Strengths-Based Approaches to Enhance Psychological and Social Outcomes in Outdoor Experiential Education.”
During the special topic exchange session, experts including Li Yuan, Dean of the School of Sports Science and Physical Education at the China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Nicholas Conceicao, Executive Director of Outward Bound Singapore, Zhang Xiaolin, Professor at Guangxi Normal University, Jagan Timilsina, Chairman of Freedom Adventures in Nepal, Tang Wei from Niulu Camping, and Zhao Jia from KE Sports Academy, delivered speeches on the following topics: “Practical Paths for Innovating the Cultivation System of Outdoor Sports Talents,” “Outward Bound Singapore: A Case Study on Building a Resilient Society,” “Education Regression and Innovation: The Value and Path of Experiential Education in Outdoor Sports for Adolescents,” “A 25-Year Journey from Porter to Outdoor Educator,” “Setup and Operation of Integrated Campsite Business Models,” and “The Role and Practice of New Media in the Sports Training Industry.”
At the Experiential Education Product Design Competition, the entry titled “Pocket Park - A Hands-on Learning Curriculum on Engineering Construction” by the team from Central China Normal University won the first prize.
During the forum, a series of experiential education activities were also organized, including an open-air seminar on industry-education integration in experiential education, workshops on experiential education, the Kendal Mountain Festival, jungle living skills workshops, fly fishing, yard games, and so on.
