Sias International University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of the West of Scotland on November 5, following high-level talks between senior members of the two universities. The University of the West of Scotland (UWS) was represented by its Principal & Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Craig Mahoney, and Vice-Principal (International), Prof. Jeanne Keay.

Following an extensive campus tour, the delegation met with the President of Sias, Dr. Chen Sikun, and the Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Department (ICED), William Lu, on the 8th floor of the Administration Building.

Dr. Chen Sikun welcomed the guests and spoke of the internationalization of Sias, with its 119 partner schools. He spoke of the common interests of UWS and Sias and how they are both focused on vocational and practical training - getting students used to a real-world work environment. He said that he hoped that they could both build on these common goals. Dr. Chen went on to speak about the internationalization of the Sias campus and how students were able to take advantage of its international faculty and students. He said that even the architecture around the Sias campus reflected the 'East-meets-West' ethos of the university. It is this brand of Sias that he looks forward to promoting.

Prof. Mahoney said that he was impressed by the campus, staff and students, and Sias' rapid development in only 17 years. He said that he was looking forward to developing cooperation between Sias and UWS. He echoed Dr. Chen and spoke of the two universities' common interest in focusing on students and their employability. He believed that Sias' international development was responsible for a lot of its success, and was looking forward to developing a range of opportunities with Sias. UWS's values were similar to those of Sias and while they do focus on local students, they have 1,300 international students. He was hopeful for a mechanism to guide students and staff from UWS to come to Sias, believing that students of UWS would very much enjoy Sias' campus.

This meeting was followed by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities on the 7th floor of the Administration Building.

The University of the West of Scotland was established in 1897 and expanded in 2007 with a merger. It has over 18,000 students and is spread across 5 campuses, 4 of which are in Scotland.

Prof. Mahoney and Prof. Keay at the Sias-Amidi Incubation Center