Sias International University's Future Information Technology Institute (FITI) held its opening ceremony on September 18. The ceremony was jointly organized by Sias International University and the China Information Management Leaders Alliance.

The Chairman of the Board of Sias, Dr. Shawn Chen, said that the original intention of setting up the Future Information Technology Institute (FITI) was to address the final stretch between graduation and employment needs for students. FITI, he said, would provide in-depth cooperation with senior professionals not only to provide up-to-date educational content to bridge the gap between academia and the needs of enterprises, but to improve teaching methods, academic thinking, and provide new ideas. Sias fully supports this innovative model of education and will provide students with the classrooms, and facilities to maximize their education. While no one can predict the future, it gets clearer as time passes. Innovation was the best way to prepare for the future and face employment challenges. Sias has always emphasized the importance of integration between China and the West, with cooperation and progressive innovation a hallmark of its history.

The Dean of FITI, Zhang Xingguo, also delivered a speech and said that FITI had selected outstanding students from various colleges at Sias. In addition to the usual course material, FITI would provide basic and specialized material as a guide for professional use. Students would get to listen to, and interact with, leading Chinese and international executives to build on the education they receive. The purpose is to impart and share knowledge through the experience of professionals to develop readily employable graduates.

Sias leaders and members of the China Information Management Leaders Alliance convened a council and relayed the objectives and teaching plans to the new students of FITI. This was followed by a Q&A session with the students.

The China Information Management Leaders Alliance (CILA) that founded the Future Information Technology Institute (FITI), is made up of entrepreneurs and executives (CEOs, CIOs, and CTOs) from many of China's large and medium-sized enterprises. With FITI, it aims to combine the existing education at Sias International University with professional knowledge and training that is usually only available at specialized training institutes. FITI will focus on training individuals to engage in modern strategic thinking and the development of information technology trends and skills. Through the educational philosophy of Sias, it is expected to help students crack the job market and solve problems faced by graduates with regard to career selection, employment, and training. It hopes to help meet the needs of the Chinese information technology management industry, by filling the talent gap in China's large and medium-sized enterprises.