According to an official notice from the Ministry of Education that gave consent to the establishment of Sias International University in 1998, the university is now officially named Sias University as of January 7, 2019.
Originally founded as the Sias College of International Business Administration, in 1998 by the Sias Group Co. Ltd, headed by Dr. Shawn Chen, with the Zhengzhou University of Technology and Fort Hays State University from Kansas, USA. Sias is the first full-time undergraduate university approved by the Degree Committee of the State Council in China to grant both Chinese and American Bachelors' Degrees. In the year 2000, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou University of Technology, and Henan Medical University merged to form what is today's Zhengzhou University. With the approval of Henan's Department of Education, Sias College of International Business Administration was renamed Sias International University. In 2018, the Ministry of Education granted the official approval for the university to function as an independent private university, and it was subsequently renamed Sias University.
Sias University now has 16 Schools - the School of Business, School of Accounting, School of Foreign Languages, School of International Education, School of Electronics and Information Engineering, School of Art & Design, School of Nursing, School of Law, School of Physical Education, School of Journalism & Communication, School of Architecture, School of Music & Opera, School of Marxism, School of Literature, School of Education, and the School of Continuing Education. As a Sino-foreign cooperatively-run institution, Sias has a variety of disciplines and majors focusing on management, humanities, and the social sciences, with multidisciplinary degrees as well. Among them are fields such as National Economics, Business Administration, English Language & Literature, Foreign & Applied Linguistics, English Translation, Electronics & Communication Engineering, etc. Since its establishment, Sias has produced over 70,000 graduates with an employment rate of over 97%.
The achievements of Sias University have been widely recognized by government and educational institutions. For many years, Sias has been awarded the "Excellent Private University" award by Henan's Department of Education. Awards include the "The Top 10 Most Influential Foreign-owned Undergraduate Universities in China Award", "2018 Leading Brand in Education Industry Award", "2018 Most Influential Sino-Foreign Institution", "2016 Most Influential Brand of Sino-Foreign Cooperative Institutions in China". Other awards and titles include the "2015 Social Impact in Sino-Foreign Cooperative Colleges", "2015 Central China Private Education Innovation and Development Award", "2018 Private Universities Brand Strength Award", and the "U.S.-China Outstanding Contribution Award, 2015".
The Founder and Chairman of the Board of Sias University, Dr. Shawn Chen, was appointed as the Special Envoy for Talents by Zhengzhou City. He was also awarded the Yellow River Friendship Award, the Business Capital Friendship Award, 2018's Most Influential Person in the Education Industry Award, and the 2018 Leader of the Education Industry in the Central Plains Award, by the Henan Provincial Government, and the Zhengzhou Municipal Government.
Sias University is a leading member of the Association of Universities in Asia & the Pacific (AUAP) and holds membership in the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP), the International Association of Universities (IAU), and the University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP).
Over the past 20 years, Zhengzhou University laid a solid foundation for the development of Sias University, with its experience, high-quality resources, and stellar reputation. For the next stage in its growth and development, Sias' move to attaining the status of an independent private university was approved and supported by Zhengzhou University. Students at Sias will not be affected by these changes, and they will still enjoy the same resources, facilities, and quality education until they graduate. Students who enroll with Sias after its establishment as an independent private university will be administered according to new policies.
In accordance with its mottoes of "East-meets-West" and "Integrating Knowledge and Practice", Sias aims to continue to explore and innovate, while adhering to its international characteristics, management, and functioning. As before, international cooperation and high-quality educational resources are to be seamlessly woven into the fabric of the university with the influence of the culture of the Central Plains of China. Through this opening up of education, Sias hopes to continue to make a name for itself as both a knowledge and application-oriented university in China and abroad.
On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, Sias would like to express its gratitude towards Zhengzhou University, which has provided support and guidance for Sias' development over the past 20 years.
