The unveiling ceremony of the Sias Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese was held on April 7 at the Southern Entrance of the Sias Library.
The chief guests at the ceremony included Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Chairman and Party Secretary of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and Academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wan Lijun; Head of the Ministry of Information Communication at the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Zuo Zhiqiang; Party Secretary and Chairman of the Henan Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Dong Jinyan; Deputy Party Secretary and Organizational Minister of the Zhengzhou Municipal Party Committee, Jiao Yuru; Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy, Science & Technology at the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Xia Fudong; Vice Minister of the Information & Communication Department at the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Guo Qihua; Member and Vice Chairman of the Party Committee of the Henan Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Wang Yue; Member of the Standing Committee of the Zhengzhou Municipal Committee, Minister of the United Front Work Department, Yang Fuping; Director of the General Office of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Li Zhitao; Party Secretary and Chairman of the Zhengzhou Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Lu Jian; Secretary of the Xinzheng Municipal Party Committee, Lu Jianwu; Researcher of the Party Committee at the Henan Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Pan Dong; Vice-Chairman and Member of the Party Committee of the Zhengzhou Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Li Zhuoyu; and Member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Office of the Xinzheng Municipal Party Committee, Qin Hongyuan.
Sias was represented by the Party Secretary, Ma Jiansheng, President, Chen Sikun, Deputy Party Secretary, Li Huafeng, and Vice President, Wu Hua.
Ma Jiansheng spoke on behalf of Sias and thanked the guests for their long-standing relationship and support given to the university through the provincial and national federations of overseas Chinese. He said that the establishment of Sias' Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese was a landmark event in the history of the university. At present, there are 217 returned overseas Chinese who work and study at Sias. He said that they play an active role with regard to the development and daily work. They also provide Sias with overseas contacts, serve new returned Chinese by giving them a sense of belonging, and contribute and promote the Sias Alumni Association both at home and abroad. He said that the Federation of Overseas Chinese would also use the 20th anniversary of Sias as a platform for growth, development, and publicity.
The official unveiling of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese at Sias University was carried out by Wan Lijun, Zuo Zhiqiang, Dong Jinyan, Jiao Yuru, Yang Fuping, and Ma Jiansheng.
After the ceremony, Wan Lijun, Jiao Yuru, and the other leaders visited and inspected the new office of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese on the 12th floor of the Sias Library. They were also able to visit the 8 themed sections of the office, including the International Exchange Center, and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. At the Music Activity Center, Wan Lijun met with the Vice President of the Conservatory of Music, and Professor at the Conservatory of Music at the University of Arizona, Dr. Lang Xiaoming. They discussed the methods of introduction of returned overseas Chinese at Sias, and the global spread of Chinese culture.
According to the Circular Requirements of the governmental guiding principles on the establishment of grass-roots Overseas Chinese Federations issued by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the working arrangements of the Henan Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and the Zhengzhou Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, Sias University has actively worked towards the establishment of its own Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and provide a home for returned Chinese nationals. On the 29th of March, Sias held its first Returned Overseas Chinese Congress. With the establishment of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese Sias became the first university in the Zhengzhouprefecture to do so.
Sias University is the first full-time undergraduate university in Henan that has been approved by the Academic Degree Committee of the State Council to implement overseas Bachelor's Degrees. It is also the first university in Henan that has been evaluated and qualified by the Chinese Ministry of Education to admit international students and has attracted a large number of returned overseas Chinese.
The establishment of the Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese provides returned overseas Chinese families and students at Sias with a source of solidarity, thereby increasing the appeal and influence of the university. It also provides a platform for the expansion of international cultural exchanges, the promotion of economic and social development in the region, and unique service to the Zhengzhou prefectural region.
