2015 International Culture Week Finale-Sias University

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2015 International Culture Week Finale

November 9, 2015

The closing ceremony of Sias' 17th International Culture Week was held on November 7 amid a celebration of various cultures through live music and dance. The chief guests included the Provost of Hawai'i Pacific University (HPU), Dr. Matthew Liao-Troth; the Dean of the Business School of HPU, Dr. Deborah Crown; Vice-President for International Programs at Missouri State University (MSU), Dr. James Baker; the Provost of MSU, Dr. Frank Einhellig; Executive Assistant to the Vice-President of MSU, Tami Sutton; China Operations Specialist of MSU, Dandan Liu; the Program Director of Administrative Studies at MSU, Dr. Gerald Masterson; Vice President of Fort Hays State University, Daniel Kulmala; Vice-Presidents of the Sias Foundation, Warren Christensen and Andrea Connor; the Chairman of the Board of Sias, Dr. Shawn Chen; Sias Party Secretary, Fei Hexiang; Sias President, Dr. Chen Sikun; Vice-President, Liu Shuqin; Vice President, Guo Aimin; Deputy Party Secretary, Li Huafeng; and Proctor, Han Xiaoai.

Dr. Shawn Chen, the Chairman of the Board of Sias, introduced the guests and delivered the opening speech. He described the purpose and philosophy of Sias' International Culture Week and noted that this year's festival had more than 80 projects, 10 national sites, and nearly 30 lectures, all combined with the international campus of Sias, making it truly an 'East-meets-West' event that integrated knowledge and practice. He hoped that students would make use of this cultural integration and that it would drive their creativity and passion for innovation.

The Vice-President for International Programs at Missouri State University, Dr. James Baker, spoke of Sias' unique campus culture and the opportunity for understanding world cultures that the International Culture Week presented. He also said that he was looking forward to building on the partnership with Sias with the internationalization of teaching and research.

The Provost of Hawai'i Pacific University (HPU), Dr. Matthew Liao-Troth, spoke about HPU's campus, specialties, and teachers. He reminded the students present at the function that university education was not limited to books and lectures, but was also based on rich life experiences and cooperation with others. He said that he hoped to provide students with more opportunities to experience life and learn, mutually benefitting both universities.

Rebecca Wilson, representing Sias' teachers, spoke of the sense of belonging that people had towards Sias, even though they have different backgrounds and cultures, and come from different countries. Devina Laurensia, the student representative, said that the International Culture Week broadened the students’ horizons and increased their knowledge about Chinese culture in addition to others.

At the closing ceremony, Sias International University signed agreements of cooperation with Missouri State University and Hawai'i Pacific University.

The festivities began with a traditional Chinese lion dance, followed by a live music performance by Dustbowl Revival, an American Roots orchestra. There were also performances by Sias students, international students, international teachers, and the Sias art troupe. This visual feast was covered by Henan TV, Xinhua News Agency, Henan Daily, the Education Times, and more than 10 other news media outlets.

Sias President, Dr. Chen Sikun