Sias University held its annual Charity Banquet on November 23 at the Banquet Hall in the Library. The theme of the 2019 Charity Banquet was "Friendship aids the mission; Charity warms the heart". Students and teachers from Sias came together to help students whose families were facing financial difficulties complete their studies. Over 500 Chinese and foreign guests were present, including the Founder, and Chairman of the Board of Sias, Dr. Shawn Chen, Sias Party Secretary, Ma Jiansheng, Executive President, Wang Jialin, Vice President, Zhao Yuxin, Vice President, Xu Shengdao, Vice President, Wu Hua, and Prof. Guo Xuede.
The Charity Banquet included a cocktail party, silent auction, dinner party, and a live auction. There were also a variety of performances during the evening. The silent auction included works of calligraphy, oil paintings, porcelain, book collections, sculptures, and other works of art that attracted bids from the guests.
The Sias News Center produced a special video about the plight of many students that was shown to the guests. Following this, Dr. Chen delivered a speech and said that all men were equal and everyone had a social responsibility to care for others and support charity. He said that Sias had over 6,000 students who had financial difficulties, including over 30 orphans. Since the founding of Sias, the university had been helping students with difficulties finish their degrees and had been supporting them with their basic needs. He said that no student should ever drop out of school because of financial needs. He said that he was moved by the struggles and efforts of students and even more by those who extended a helping hand to them. Sias, he continued, was a student-centered university and all the donations from the Charity Banquet would be used for the education and daily needs of students with financial difficulties. He closed by saying that he also hoped that the Banquet would also be a platform for industry leaders to build bridges of communication with each other.
At this year's Charity Banquet, leaders and guests also focused especially on orphan students' setbacks, hard work, and their goals. The Banquet opened the eyes of those present to the needs of many students at Sias who wished to study and complete their degrees.
Every year, over 6,000 students at Sias are identified as those in need of financial assistance. Leaders at all levels of the university make sure that these students are given the help they need. Since the 7th of November, Sias has implemented auctions and donation drives and has publicized and promoted the need for charitable activities at the university through the official microblog, official WeChat account, and other social media platforms. Teachers, staff, and alumni have also contributed to this mobilization. Since 2015, Sias has provided academic and financial support to over 25,500 students through its activities, grants, scholarships, part-time jobs, and special assistance. Sias also encourages students to study hard and focus on social responsibilities.
