Sias University held a Groundbreaking Ceremony for an American Peace Garden on May 22. The design for the American Peace Garden was gifted to Sias by Fort Hays State University (FHSU) from Kansas, USA. The Ceremony was attended by the President of FHSU, Dr. Tisa Mason, member of the Kansas Board of Regents, Allen Schmidt, the Vice President for Administration and Finance at FHSU, Mike Barnett, the Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at FHSU, Dr. Jeffrey Briggs, and the Assistant Vice President for Global Partnerships, Cindy Elliott. Sias University was represented by the Founder and Chairman of the Board, Dr. Shawn Chen, Sias President, Chen Sikun, Executive President, Wang Jialin, Vice President, Wu Hua, and Prof. Guo Junfeng.

In a speech at the Groundbreaking Ceremony, Dr. Mason said that it was a ceremony of gratitude for the many contributions of Sias University to the community. She spoke about the 20-year partnership of Sias and Fort Hays State University and the significance of the friendship between the two universities. She said that the idea of the garden was to create a geographical symbol between Sias and FHSU, as both campuses inhabit the central region of their two countries, China and the United States, respectively, as well as drawing parallels between Henan and Kansas. It was also to complement the other international gardens at Sias, with additions such as a 5-meter LED screen at the entrance. She said that she hoped that the garden would be popular with students and faculty.

Dr. Mason also spoke of her appreciation of the relationship, exchanges, and academic ties between Sias University and Fort Hays State University. She thanked Dr. Shawn Chen for his vision, dedication, and determination over the past 20 years.

Dr. Chen thanked Dr. Mason and Fort Hays State University for the gift of the design of the American Peace Garden, and their continuous support and encouragement throughout Sias' history. He said that he hoped that the relationship would deepen in the future.

The leaders of both universities then officially announced the beginning of the construction of the American Peace Garden with the Groundbreaking Ceremony.

The construction of the American Peace Garden will complement the other international gardens on Sias' campus, adding to the internationalized architecture and campus culture.