The Vice Governor of the Henan Provincial People's Government, Huo Jinhua, who is also the Chairman of the China Democratic League's Central Standing Committee, the Chairman of the Henan Provincial Committee, and the Chairman of the Provincial Association of Science & Technology, visited Sias University on March 22. She was accompanied by several provincial government leaders including the Deputy Secretary-General of Henan Provincial People's Government, Yin Hongbin, the Director of Henan's Department of Education, Zheng Bangshan, the Director of the Office of Henan Provincial People's Government, Zhao Yuhe, the Director of the Office of Henan's Department of Education, Zhu Zifeng, and the Director of the Henan's Private Education Department, Dong Yumin.
Vice Governor Huo Jinhua went on a campus tour of Sias that included Sias' student entrepreneurial bases, CUBA Training Facility, Golf Driving Range, Chinese Garden, London Street, cafeterias, residential colleges, and the Library. The Chairman of the Board of Sias, Dr. Shawn Chen, Party Secretary, Ma Jiansheng, Sias President, Chen Sikun, Executive President, Wang Jialin, Deputy Party Secretary, Li Huafeng, and Vice President, Wu Hua, were present to welcome the delegation.
The delegation then met with the Sias leadership for a meeting in the conference room on the 15th floor of the Library. After the delegation was shown the official Sias promotional video, Party Secretary Ma Jiansheng delivered began the dialogue. He thanked the Provincial Government and provincial Department of Education on behalf of Sias and said that their support for Sias over the past 20 years was crucial for the development of the university. He said that Sias had adhered to the Communist Party's and the State's education policy, and had made considerable progress in various undertakings because of this. With the goal of building a high-level private university, Sias has effectively utilized high-quality educational resources domestically and internationally. He said that an internationalized university would contribute to Henan's economic and social development.
The Chairman of the Board of Sias, Dr. Shawn Chen, delivered a report on the daily functions of Sias, the concepts and characteristics of its East-meets-West educational philosophy, and the achievements of research in the past 5 years. He put forward the idea of all-inclusive holistic education that is implemented in classrooms, activities, and the cultural environment of the university. He said that through this, Sias produces graduates that would aid in an internationalized integration of economic and social development in the region. Dr. Chen also spoke about the upcoming 2nd Joint AUAP (Association of Universities of Asia &the Pacific)- IAUP(International Association of University Presidents)Conference, to be held at Sias in May, as an example of the international development of Sias. He said that the 20th anniversary, also in May, was an opportunity to celebrate these achievements and contributions to the development of Henan.
Vice Governor Huo Jinhua said that she recognized Sias' development and implementation of an internationalized holistic education through the integration of Chinese and Western ideas. She thanked Sias for its contribution to Henan through its graduates and the high-quality educational resources that it provides. With private higher education becoming more popular, Vice Governor Huo Jinhua gave the leaders at Sias advice based on the implementation of the government's plans and template for running universities. She also said that she hoped that Sias would grow in its holistic education by providing world-class educational resources, continue to contribute to the development and opening up of education in Henan, and thereby provide talent for the economic and social development of the province.
In conclusion, Dr. Chen said that Sias would conscientiously implement the directives put forward at the National Education Congress with regard to ideology and theory, and work with the provincial government and the provincial department of education to satisfy the needs of the people of Henan and provide credence to private education in the province as well.
