The Finale (closing ceremony) of Sias International University's 19th International Culture Week was held on the morning of November 4.
Among the chief guests at the ceremony were the Dean of the American Film Institute Conservatory at the American Film Institute, Jan Schuette; Inspector at the North-Central Higher Education Commission in the U.S.A., Karlene Tyler; the Assistant Provost for Strategic Partnerships at Fort Hays State University, Cindy Elliott; Vice Chairman of the World Federation of the United Nations Associations, Jayant Jethwa; the General Secretary of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP), Dr. Ricardo Pama; Chairman of the Board of Daffodil International University in Bangladesh, and Council Member of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP), Sabur Khan; Vice President of Academic Affairs at Adamson University in the Philippines, and Council Member of the AUAP, Dr. Catherine Q. Castañeda; Vice President of Voronezh State University in Russia, Prof. Dr. Sergey Zapryagaev; Vice President of Naresuan University in Thailand, Dr. Sukkid Yasothornsrikul; Secretary of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP), Supaporn Chuangchid; the Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs and Overseas Affairs Office in Henan Province, Yang Weibin; the Founder of Beijing Society Technology Development, Lin Feng; Former General Manager of the TCL Group Information Center, Yuan Maike; and Associate Professor at the National Cheng Kung University, Dr. Zhang Peiyi.
Sias was represented by the Chairman of the Board, Dr. Shawn Chen; Party Secretary, Fei Hexiang; Sias President, Dr. Chen Sikun; Vice President, Liu Shuqin; Deputy Party Secretary, Li Huafeng; and Assistant Principals, Sun Rujian, and Guo Xuede. Over one thousand students and teachers attended the 2017 International Culture Week Finale.
After the playing of the Chinese and American national anthems, the Chairman of the Board of Sias, Dr. Shawn Chen, delivered a speech. He said that in the past 19 years Sias had consistently held the International Culture Week to help students better understand a diversified world and the history and development of the world as it is today. He said that it improved students' knowledge and channeled their enthusiasm into practice, thereby promoting cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.
The General Secretary of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP), Dr. Ricardo Pama, greeted the audience on behalf of the AUAP and said that was honored to be invited to the International Culture Week Finale. He also spoke of Dr. Shawn Chen's role at the AUAP and the importance of the partnership between Sias and the AUAP.
Inspector at the North-Central Higher Education Commission in the U.S.A., Karlene Tyler, spoke of the ties between Sias and Fort Hays State University. She said that the dual degree programs were aimed at producing better global citizens. She encouraged students to learn from each other and broaden their horizons by engaging with different cultures. The Founder of Beijing Society Technology Development, Lin Feng, said that internationalization is an irresistible trend. He also spoke about how China and Chinese culture was now influencing the world.
The Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs and Overseas Affairs Office in Henan Province, Yang Weibin, congratulated Sias on the success of the International Culture Week and spoke about the road ahead for the university. He said that Sias raised the standard for international cooperation and development in Henan Province as well as educational reform, Sino-US relations, and peace. He said that he hoped that Sias would continue to shoulder this responsibility and contribute greatly to the development of Henan.
Sias' Foreign Faculty Representative, Jodi Hill, spoke about her life at Sias, the thousands of students she had met, and their dreams. She also spoke about the different cultures on display during the International Culture Week and the exposure and learning opportunities it provided students at Sias. She said that it gave students a good platform for diversified cultural development.
This was followed by the presentation of gifts to Sias International University by Sun Shumei (48th generation) and Sun Guangda (49th generation), who are descendants of the famous traditional Chinese medicine doctor, known as the King of Medicine, Sun Simiao.
The 2017 International Culture Week Finale then had a series of performances by the Sias Art Troup, as well as a performance by Shu-Te University from Taiwan. There were also performances by Sias' international students from the United States, Canada, Kyrgyzstan, and Laos.
