The opening ceremony of the 12th annual Women's Symposium was held at Sias' Basketball Arena on May 12, 2018. The theme of the symposium, organized by the World Academy for the Future of Women, was"Discover Your Voice; Design Your Future". A large number of guests, Chinese and international volunteers, teachers, and students were present and involved in this year's Women's Symposium.
The chief guests included the President and Owner of Global Interactions Inc., and Founder of the World Academy for the Future of Women, Jerrie Ueberle; the Founder & CEO of the Singaporean brand and clothing company 77th Street, Elim Chew; renowned American conductor and composer, Diane Wittry; the Dean of the Kathmandu International College, Bidul Dahal; the Head of the Department of English Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Prof. Shamsad Mortuza; the CEO of Angel Relief Co. Ltd., Luo Jiajie; Executive Producer of TheAuthorsShow.com, and Director Media Relations for the World Academy for the Future of Women, Danielle Hampson; Party Secretary & CEO of the Zhengzhou Yuan Fang Group, and representative at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xue Rong; Founder & CEO of Henan Jian Zai Xian Brand Positioning Communication, Li Yan; Principal of the CECU Etiquette School, Chen Jie; and the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the China Economic News Network, Cai Jia.
Members of the Sias leadership were also present, including the Chairman of the Board of Sias (who also serves as an innovation mentor to the Zhengzhou Women Entrepreneurs Association), Dr. Shawn Chen; Sias President, Dr. Chen Sikun; Executive Vice President, Dong Qiming; Vice President, Liu Shuqin; Deputy Party Secretary, Li Huafeng; Sias Proctor, Han Xiaoai; and Assistant Principal, Guo Xuede.
After the playing of the Chinese and American national anthems, Dr. Shawn Chen delivered the opening speech. He welcomed the Chinese and foreign guests and spoke of Sias' goal of training students in both Chinese and Western education. He also spoke about the success of the Women's Symposium and how it attracts a wide range of experts, scholars, and celebrities every year. This exposure had helped students broaden their vision, and had helped them on the path to discovering their potential and direction. He said that he hoped that students and teachers would attend as many lectures and fora as possible. Following this, the President and Owner of Global Interactions Inc., and Founder of the World Academy for the Future of Women, Jerrie Ueberle, said that the goal of the Women's Symposium was to provide practical information and skills for female college students so that they can succeed in their careers.
At the opening ceremony, Xue Rong, the Party Secretary & CEO of the Zhengzhou Yuan Fang Group, and representative at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China delivered a keynote speech titled, "Happiness is a Struggle". She spoke about the growth of women and the difficulties and struggles of succeeding as a woman. She spoke of her own experiences while founding the Yuan Fang Group, and spoke of the necessity to constantly improve and be tenacious.
The founder & CEO of the Singaporean brand and clothing company 77th Street, Elim Chew, also delivered a keynote speech. She recounted her painstaking work and memorable experiences while creating one of Singapore's top fashion and accessories brands - 77th Street. She said that women were capable and could excel at all ages, citing their bravery, resilience, support for each other, and their capacity for independent thinking. She encouraged the students to set goals for themselves and pursue them relentlessly, always finding new ways to succeed, while taking advantage of the latest opportunities brought about by technology.
The opening ceremony ended with a choral performance of "My Sias" and the official song of the World Academy for the Future of Women.
The 12th Women's Symposium lasted for 3 days, from May 11 to 13. Over 50 experts and scholars from a wide range of fields held lectures and conducted breakout sessions. The integration of Chinese and Western cultures was a topic of particular significance in speeches and in fora, as well as the social progress and status of women in society, and gender equality. The fora also brought up topics such as the collision of cultures, the empowerment of women, and public welfare. There was also a meet & greet cocktail reception at the Chinese Garden, a welcome lunch, literary performances, and a forum that honored mothers.
The Closing Ceremony of the 12th Women's Symposium was held on May 13 at the Sias Basketball Arena. Sias President, Dr. Chen Sikun, delivered a speech during which he said that the Symposium had been a success. He said that the guests were exemplary examples of the modern successful woman who brought with and shared their experiences in the workplace. He also said that their entrepreneurial experiences, drive toward self-improvement, learning, and self-confidence, were invaluable examples to students. He was glad about the exposure given to students with regard to development opportunities and responsibilities. The Symposium, he said, was crucial to the vision of Sias and the internationalization of the students' experience, especially with regard to helping students explore their potential.
The Vice Dean of the School of Business, Andrew Zhao, delivered the keynote speech on the reasons and trends for the change in China's gender wage gap. He spoke of gender wage differentials and sexism in the Chinese urban labor market over the past 70 years. He said that over the past 10 years, employment and wage discrimination had begun to noticeably decline. He continued that this appeared to be a long-term trend and that China was well on its way to being a fairer and more equal society.
The Executive Assistant of the World Academy for the Future of Women (WAFW), Song Zeyu, announced the 2018 Jerrie Ueberle Leadership Scholarship Awards. Jerrie Ueberle also presented certificates to certain students from the World Academy for the Future of Women. Jerrie Ueberle then delivered a speech, and officially closed the 12th Women's Symposium.
