President Repollet of Kean University Leads Dragon Boat Teams at New York Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, Promoting Sino-American Cultural Exchange

On August 3rd(EST), Dr. Lamont Repollet, President of Kean University, led two teams composed of more than 20 students and faculty members to participate in the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival held in Queens, New York. During the event, President Repollet engaged in a conversation with Ambassador Huang Ping, the Consul General of China in New York.

 The two-day Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York attracted over a thousand spectators, with 180 teams competing in rounds. The event not only preserved the ancient tradition of dragon boat racing but also provided an excellent opportunity for young people from both China and the United States to showcase different cultures and share joyful experiences.

 In early June this year, President Repollet visited Wenzhou China, where he and his delegation had the opportunity to observe a dragon boat race at the Wenzhou Dragon Boat Sports Center, leaving a deep impression.The dragon boat team members will be invited to join a Kean USA delegation trip to China during Spring 2025 to compete with members from the sister campus,  Wenzhou-Kean University, during Wenzhou's Dragon Boat festival.

 Thanks to the efforts of Wang Chengyun, Chairman of the Wenzhou-Kean University Education Development Foundation and Vice Chairman of the China Dragon Boat Association, dragon boat culture has been introduced to Wenzhou-Kean University, an international campus that serves as a bridge for Sino-American cultural exchange. The Wenzhou-Kean University Dragon Boat Team, composed of students and faculty from various countries, has participated in the Wenzhou Dragon Boat League several times and achieved excellent results. These activities have not only deepened cultural exchanges between Kean University and China but also demonstrated the beautiful vision of enhancing friendship between the youth of both countries through sports.

Writer LU Lisu