Abstract: The social responsibility of physical education institutes is an important issue that should be studied to serve the construction of a socialist modernized country. The development history of physical education institutes in China from the 1950s to the present has gone through the four stages of "Hope to do", "Should do", "Can do" and "Have done". Although a certain degree of success has been achieved, it is far from meeting the requirements of the party and the state, and the expectations of the people. As a category of colleges and universities with unique characteristics, higher physical institutes should grasp their boundary and scope, level and type, characteristics and advantages, paths and ways when understanding and recognizing the connotation of the mechanism to assume social responsibilities. This paper takes Chengdu Sport University as an example, studies the school's history of more than 80 years, pointing out its initiatives and achievements in serving the major strategies of education, sports, health and culture as well as local economic and social development, which can provide practical experience for higher physical education institutes to fulfill their responsibilities entrusted by the society and run the education to the satisfaction of the people in their new journey.

Key words: the New Era, colleges and universities, physical education institutes, higher education, social responsibility