Sias International University

infobox University
name= Sias International University
established= 1998
type= Private
founder= Shawn Chen
staff= 700
president= Li Haijun
students= 14,000
city= Xinzheng
country= China
campus= Urban
affiliations=Fort Hays State University, Zhengzhou University
website= [http://en.sias.edu.cn/ en.sias.edu.cn]

Sias International University (SIAS, Chinese: 郑州大学西亚斯国际学院) is a private college affiliated to Zhengzhou University in Henan Province, People's Republic of China. It is located in the ancient city of Xinzheng, near Henan's capital, Zhengzhou.

History

In 1998, SIAS was founded by Mr Shawn Chen, head of SIAS Group, as a small business trade school. It started with around 200 students and has greatly grown since. As of 2006 it claims nearly 14,000 students and the campus has expanded threefold making it as one of many higher education institutions popping up in China to coincide with that country's economic development.

Present

Sias International University is known for being the first American-style University in China. This is most predominantly represented in its architecture, funding, and ownership. The SIAS campus was designed by Peter Wiess, an associate professor at Auburn University. He has designed 30 buildings and is the only American to design a campus in China. SIAS is also the only college in China that flies the U.S. flag. (It also flies flags of other nations near its central pagoda located on a hill in the middle of campus; the hill, according to local legend, is an ancient tomb.) The Chinese flag flies highest, and its national anthem is played by students every morning at the flag's raising. The administration building is designed to look like the U.S. capitol building on one side (facing the campus) and traditional Chinese design on the other side (facing the city of Xinzheng). The architecture represents the unique idea of SIAS, as East meets West in a place that has been closed to the outside world for much of its long and impressive history.

The University now offers multiple disciplines. The school is seen as a third tier school and as such its degree is not considered as valuable as state run schools. The campus was designed by an architect from Auburn University. It is also known for the large number of foreign faculty, one of the highest in China. This last year there were 90 foreign faculty from 4 different countries teaching at SIAS. Mind you at least 40 teachers this year were recruited from www.plugintoyours.com an extremely right wing evangelical christian missionary group, and they are recruiting another 40 teachers this year (see the ads on the talk page) again.

SIAS is also one of the first schools in China that is able to offer students an American Bachelors of General Studies degree in partnership through Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. Students take 30 credit hours of American College courses all taught in English, and they are able to transfer in the remaining 90 credit hours from their 200 hours of Chinese courses to earn an American Bachelors of General Studies Degrees.

SIAS is also claims to be the first University permitted by the Chinese State Degree Office to have core class in Western Civilization, Sociology, and Government. It may be the first school in Henan province to allow Western teachers to instruct liberal arts classes.

Academics

SIAS currently offers many undergraduate degree programs. The average student must complete approximately 180 classroom hours in 4 years to graduate with a Bachelors degree. Associate degrees are offered as well.

External links

* [http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-university4dec04,0,5860416.story?coll=la-default-underdog/ LA times article on SIAS]
* [http://www.siasuniversity.com/ SIAS home page]
* [http://www.plugintoyours.com/ Missionary Recruiting]
* [http://www.siasuniversity.com/apply/ Recruiting]
* [http://www.ocm.auburn.edu/news_releases/chinaweiss.html Auburn Chinese Connection]