Dr. Shawn Chen, Founder and Chairman of Sias University, was Inaugurated as the New President of the International Association of University Presidents-Sias University

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Dr. Shawn Chen, Founder and Chairman of Sias University, was Inaugurated as the New President of the International Association of University Presidents

October 16, 2024 Editor：司佳璇

On October 15 2024, the 20^th International Association of University Presidents Triennial Conference opened at the Beijing Conference Center. After deliberation and voting by the members of the association, and with the approval of the IAUP, Dr. Shawn Chen, the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Sias University, was officially inaugurated as the new President of the IAUP from 2024 to 2027.

At the beginning of the conference, Kakha Shengelia, President of the Council of the IAUP delivered a welcome speech, reviewing IAUP's achievements over the past three years. Fernando León García, current President of IAUP reported to all members on the financial situation and activities of the association from 2021-2024, providing a comprehensive presentation of IAUP's efforts and achievements in promoting global cooperation and innovation in higher education.

Fernando León García, President of IAUP read out the IAUP Council's proposals for candidates from 2027 to 2030. The General Assembly proposed Tomás Morales, California State University, San Bernardino, as the new President-designate, Letlhowka Mpedi, President of the University of Johannesburg as the new Secretary-designate, and Sabur Khan of Daffodil International University as the new Chief Financial Officer-designate. Tomás Morales accepted the appointment on the spot and announced that the next Triennial Congress of IAUP will be held in Los Angeles, USA in 2027.

After on-site deliberation and voting by the members of IAUP, Dr. Shawn Chen was successfully elected as the new President of the IAUP. Amid warm applause, Fernando León García officially handed over the seal symbolizing the responsibilities of IAUP President to Dr. Shawn Chen, and presented a sash to him. After the handover ceremony, Dr. Shawn Chen officially took office as the new President of the IAUP. Tatsuro Tanioka, Vice President of Tanioka Gakuen Education Foundation was appointed as the new Secretary General of the association. Brent White, Chief Global Officer of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, is the new Chief Financial Officer of the association.

At the subsequent inauguration ceremony, President Chen delivered his inaugural speech. He reflected on his journey of working with President Fernando León García to advance the vision of innovation in higher education during his tenure as IAUP Financial Officer, and expressed his respect and gratitude to President Fernando León García for his outstanding leadership and influence.

President Chen mentioned, over the next three years, IAUP will work to achieve a number of key priorities, including doubling its global membership, building a more diverse and inclusive organizational environment, optimizing governance and management systems, facilitating student and faculty learning exchanges, supporting joint research projects, and leveraging artificial intelligence to drive innovation in education.

Dr. Shawn Chen said that as the new president of IAUP, he will make every effort to promote the strategic cooperation between IAUP and the United Nations, and be committed to promoting deeper links between global IAUP members and Chinese universities, expecting IAUP to become a bridge for China's higher education to "go global" and an innovative education practical platform for "bringing in" the best education from around the world, contributing to the promotion of global higher education exchange, cooperation and development.

Looking ahead, it is believed that under the leadership of President Chen, the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP) will continue to uphold the mission of promoting international cooperation, knowledge exchange and navigate challenges through common progress, and strengthening interaction, communication and cooperation with universities around the world to jointly advance the vision of global education.