SIAS University
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[edit] SIAS International University
SIAS University is a private college in Henan Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the ancient city of Xinzheng, near Henan's capital Zhengzhou. It was founded in 1998 as a small business trade school. It started with around 200 students and has greatly grown since. In 2005 it claims nearly 12,000 students and the campus has expanded three fold - marking it as one of many higher education institutions popping up in China to coincide with that countries economic development. The University now offers multiple disciplines. The school is seen as a second tier school, valued under the highly sought after state schools, in China. It is known locally for its impressive campus and its large number of foreign faculty, one of the highest in China.
[edit] East meets West
SIAS International University is known for being the first American-style University in China. This is most predominantly represented in its architecture, funding, and ownership. The SIAS campus was designed by Peter Wiess who is an associate professor at Auburn University. He has designed 30 buildings and is the only American to design a campus in China. SIAS is also the only college in China that flies the U.S. flag. (It also flies flags of other nations near the its central pagoda located on a hill in the middle of campus; the hill, according to local legend, is an ancient tomb.) The Chinese flag flies highest, and its national anthem is played by students every morning at the flag's raising. The administration building is designed to look like the U.S. capitol building on one side (facing the campus) and traditional Chinese design on the other side (facing the city of Xinzheng). The architecture represents the unique idea of SIAS, as East meets West in a place that has been closed to the outside world for much of its long and impressive history.
SIAS was founded by Dr. Shawn Chen in 1998, a Chinese entrepreneur who splits much of his time between China and the United States. He is the head the SIAS group which was established in 1992. The group has international investments in multiple industries including; steel, computers, and hotels. In China he leads several enterprises in various areas of the country. He was born in Chongqing City in Sichuan Province. He came to the United States of American in 1981. He received two Masters degrees (from two Universities, in Education, and Management respectively) and was awarded a honorable PH.D from the American Humane Study University. Dr. Chen began his professional career at the Export Trade Administration in Washington D.C. Currently, he is primarily based out of L.A., California where his family lives.
SIAS University is owned by the SIAS Group. It is based in the United States, making SIAS the first solely American owned University in Central China.
SIAS is also claims to be the first University permitted by the Chinese State Degree Office to have core class in Western Civilization, Sociology, and Government. It may be the first school in Henan province to allow Western Teachers to instruct Liberal Arts classes.
[edit] External links
[SIAS home page http://cn.sias.edu.cn/] [Auburn Chinese Connection http://www.ocm.auburn.edu/china/sias.html]
