The Henan Department of Education issued a notice to commend the outstanding collectives and individuals who contributed to the province's educational foreign affairs work during the 13th Five Year Plan period. Sias University was awarded the title of "Outstanding Collective of Provincial Educational Foreign Affairs Work", and the Director of Sias' Office of International Affairs (OIA), Yue Junliang, was awarded the title of "Outstanding Individual of Provincial Educational Foreign Affairs Work".

Since the beginning of the 13th Five-Year Plan, Sias' education and foreign affairs work has adhered to the directives on socialism with Chinese characteristics from the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Sias has also implemented the "Opinions of the Ministry of Education and 8 other Departments on Accelerating and Expanding the Opening Up of Education in the New Era", focusing on the major decision-making and deployment of the university and academic departments.

Based on its cooperation with Fort Hays State University from the United States, Sias University has also introduced a Sino-foreign cooperative academic project with the world-famous University of Arizona. At present, it has cooperated with over 230 colleges and universities in 52 countries and regions, including over 60 new partnerships in the past 5 years. Sias has joined the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP), the Association of Universities in Asia and the Pacific (AUAP), the University Mobility in Asia & the Pacific (UMAP), the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE), and the European Association for International Education (EAIE). Sias holds, and has held, important posts in the IAUP, AUAP, and UMAP. Through membership in these international organizations, Sias has introduced more international educational resources into the province of Henan and aided other domestic universities with their internationalization. Sias attended and organized a series of foreign affairs activities, including the Seminar on the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and the United States, the 5th U.S.-China Outstanding Contributions Awards Ceremony, and the 2019 Joint IAUP-AUAP International Conference. During the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020, with the approval of the Ministry of Education, Sias was the only university in Henan to provide opportunities for students studying abroad. At the recent celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Sino-foreign cooperation between Sias University and Fort Hays State University, the heads of the provincial and state governments of Henan and Kansas (USA), representatives from Chinese and American embassies, Chinese and American higher education institutions, and other leaders, attended the (online) event.