Sias University hosted an inspection of its residential college model, inviting leaders from many universities and colleges from the province of Henan, on the 25th of April. The inspection was held to give the attending delegations an inside look at the workings, reform, and governance in Sias' residential colleges. The event was also set up to help universities and colleges that were looking to implement trial versions of the Sias model concerning innovation, the nurturing of talent, and governance.
The chief guests included the Head of the Leading Group for Education in the Henan Communist Party Committee, Party Secretary and Director of the Henan Department of Education, Zheng Bangshan; the Deputy Director of the Henan Department of Education, Diao Yuhua; Member of the Working Committee for Colleges & Universities in the Henan Communist Party Committee, He Xiumin; Second Level Inspector at the Henan Department of Education, Lü Bing; and Second Level Inspector, Dong Xuesheng. Party secretaries, presidents, and leaders from several colleges and universities from across the province of Henan were present, as were representatives of private undergraduate colleges and universities, members of Working Committees of the Henan Communist Party Committee, and representatives from the Henan Department of Education.
In his speech at the opening conference, Zheng Bangshan said that the reform of the educational system in colleges and universities was an important step in the wider reform of education in the province of Henan. He said that the conference was an important measure for the implementation of the directives on comprehensive educational reform and a vital step for the promotion of the development of the educational system.
Zheng Bangshan stressed the importance of morality and the nurturing of students with regard to their political responsibilities. He said that the Party Committees of colleges and universities should pursue reform through moral education, establish grass-roots Party organizations and promote Youth League organizations. He said that they should also integrate ideological education, student-teacher exchanges, and cultural activities, to influence and guide students. Efforts should be made to reform the existing systems and mechanisms to improve coordination and planning. The governance systems at colleges and universities were to be used for the promotion of reform, streamlining administration, and the delegation of responsibilities, with strengths and resources used for the improvement of student management. He also spoke about the need for a diversified education in which colleges and universities arrange for tutors to add an additional dimension to the existing educational curriculum, particularly concerning ideological growth, career planning, and academic development.
The Founder and Chairman of the Board of Sias, Dr. Shawn Chen, the Party Secretary and Director of the Wenzhi College at Xi'an Jiaotong University, Wang Qi, and the Party Secretary of Zhicheng College at Shantou University, Yao Yi, presented reports on the research and practice of the residential college system.
After the conference, the visiting delegations visited Mingli Residential College, Qixian Residential College, Huanyu Residential College, the Sias Party History, Education, and Achievement Exhibition, the Residential College Construction Exhibition, and the Cultural Activities Exhibition.
In the afternoon, Sias held a float parade, performances, International Culture Week festivities, and a snapshot of the annual Candlelight Ceremony. Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Henan Party Committee, Director of the Propaganda Department, Deputy Leader of the Leading Group for Educational Work at the CPC Henan Party Committee, and Party Secretary of the College Working Committee, Jiang Ling; the Vice Governor of Henan, Huo Jinhua; and the Deputy Secretary-General of Henan, Yin Hongbin; attended the events.
In 2018, China's Ministry of Education and 6 other departments issued directives for research on the Residential College System for the purposes of building a learning and living community, improving the communication between teachers and students, and promoting morality and personality development of the students. Students were to be given the option to choose tutors, academic majors, and courses independently. Additional directives involved research-based teaching and encouraging students to participate in research projects.
In 2019, the Ministry of Education's mandates on the reform of undergraduate education and teaching made it clear that colleges and universities should promote student management through the creation of comprehensive student communities that provided academic tutors, psychological counseling, and doctors, as well as special platforms for student-teachers dialogue.
In 2020, the directives from 8 departments, including the Ministry of Education, on acceleration the implementation of ideological and political education in colleges and universities included the promotion of student communities. With a reliance on student dormitories and other student communities, Sias has worked towards the reform of the organization of students through the promotion of Communist Party and Youth League organizations, the involvement of the leadership and management with ideological and political education, and a variety of student services such as student-teacher exchanges and cultural activities.
