SIAS University
Encyclopedia
Sias International University (SIAS, Chinese
: 郑州大学西亚斯国际学院 zhèng-zhōu dà-xué xī-yà-sī guó-jì xué-yuàn) 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
.
SIAS has not been without its problems. Since inception, it has struggled to recruit qualified teachers to take up residence in remote rural towns. Complications arising from politics, as well as utility issues, have sprung up regularly since inception.
and his associate Charles Martin. They have designed over 30 buildings and are the only Americans to design a campus in China. 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.
, Japanese
, South African, Mexicans, Argentinians etc., have also been sparsely represented. Within this block of American teachers, the trend has been to recruit college graduates with connections to religious organizations on the west coast of the United States. Most foreign faculty are hired to teach English, although a significant amount of teachers aid Fort Hays professors in teaching the American courses
Most (if not all) of the foreign faculty at SIAS are temporary, as wages in Central China are a small fraction of their earning potential back home. Also, the school pays less per month than many universities around China do for foreign teachers. Many come either looking for adventure, to experience a new country, or to clandestinely conduct missionary activity.
Regardless of their reasons for arriving at SIAS, all foreign teachers are held to a high standard of Academic integrity, and the overwhelming majority of them take their positions as EFL teachers seriously, attending workshops and seminars. Most foreign teachers at SIAS stay for 2 years, although some have stayed up to 7 and some have left after 4 months. After their stint at SIAS, most foreign teachers return to their home countries, although some continued their expat
life in China, pursuing academic or business careers in other cities or provinces.
As the expat
community in Henan
Province is an extremely small, but very visible, minority (about 1,000 out of 100 million), many opportunities are constantly afforded to foreign teachers outside of their regular duties. While their visas allow them only to work for SIAS, they attend government banquets, functions, or appear as guests on television shows. This is not particular to SIAS or Henan as international teachers throughout China are afforded these unique opportunities.
SIAS is also one of the first schools in China to offer students American bachelor degrees in partnership through Fort Hays State University
in Hays, Kansas
. Students take credit hours of American college courses all taught in English, and they are able to transfer remaining credit hours from their 200 hours of Chinese courses to earn degrees. About 10% of all SIAS students study under the partnership of Fort Hays, theoretically allowing Chinese students to earn an American degree without actually setting foot in the States.
SIAS continuously pursues partnerships with universities abroad, particularly American universities. It has been in talks with Minot State University since 2005.
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..
SIAS offers 12 associate degree programs and 54 bachelor's degrees. These include sciences, business management, computer science, economics, engineering, fine arts, foreign languages (Japanese and English), music and performing arts. In addition, Spanish and French are taught as electives.
Like many private colleges in China, SIAS lacks the heavy government subsidy to fund its administrative costs and therefore charges the students from 12,000 upwards to 14,000 RMB per academic year, , more than twice the national average.
or transfer of credits was an issue that the school administration was unable (or unwilling) to accomplish, many of these students came to Learn Chinese, all the while taking supplemental courses that gave the student an introduction to Chinese cultural subjects like t'ai chi, massage
, Chinese traditional medicine, etc.
SIAS theoretically offers international (non-Chinese) students the option of earning the American degree, in which the international student attends all-English, or English-Chinese, classes. However, to date not one international student at SIAS has earned the FHSU degree. The bulk of the international student body consist of aspiring Chinese as a second language speakers either enriching their lives, or preparing for the HSK Chinese Proficiency Test
.
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
: 郑州大学西亚斯国际学院 zhèng-zhōu dà-xué xī-yà-sī guó-jì xué-yuàn) is a private college affiliated to Zhengzhou University
Zhengzhou University
Zhengzhou University , colloquially known in Chinese as Zhèngdà is a public university located in Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China.- History :...
in Henan Province, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It is located in the ancient city of Xinzheng
Xinzheng
Xinzheng is a small county-level city of Zhengzhou in the south of Henan province of Central China. The city has a population of 600,000 people and covers an area of .-History:...
, near Henan's capital, Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou , is the capital and largest city of Henan province in north-central China. A prefecture-level city, it also serves as the political, economic, technological, and educational centre of the province, as well as a major transportation hub for Central China...
.
History
In 1998, SIAS was founded by Mr Shawn Chen, head of SIAS Group, as a small business trade school and it is the first American University in Central China. It started with around 200 students and now has approximately 17,000 students, and now boasts almost 50 buildings, along with an olympic swimming stadium, numerous basketball courts, as well as several recreation areas. . During the early years of its inception, Chen's close friends were in charge of the typical university duties, such as library maintenance and upkeep , as well as other administrative positions. 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.SIAS has not been without its problems. Since inception, it has struggled to recruit qualified teachers to take up residence in remote rural towns. Complications arising from politics, as well as utility issues, have sprung up regularly since inception.
American/Chinese Fusion
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 UniversityAuburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
and his associate Charles Martin. They have designed over 30 buildings and are the only Americans to design a campus in China. The administration building is designed to look like the U.S. capitol building
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
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.
Foreign Faculty
As of 2007, there were 90 foreign faculty from 4 different countries teaching at SIAS. The overwhelming majority of the foreign faculty are U.S. citizens, although Canadians, FilipinosFilipinos
Filipinos is the brand name for a series of biscuit snacks made by Kraft Foods. In Spain and Portugal they are produced and sold under the Artiach brand name. Under license to United Biscuits, in the Netherlands they are sold and produced locally under the Verkade brand...
, Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
, South African, Mexicans, Argentinians etc., have also been sparsely represented. Within this block of American teachers, the trend has been to recruit college graduates with connections to religious organizations on the west coast of the United States. Most foreign faculty are hired to teach English, although a significant amount of teachers aid Fort Hays professors in teaching the American courses
Regardless of their reasons for arriving at SIAS, all foreign teachers are held to a high standard of Academic integrity, and the overwhelming majority of them take their positions as EFL teachers seriously, attending workshops and seminars. Most foreign teachers at SIAS stay for 2 years, although some have stayed up to 7 and some have left after 4 months. After their stint at SIAS, most foreign teachers return to their home countries, although some continued their expat
Expat
Expat may refer to:* A shortened version of the term expatriate* Expat : A stream-oriented XML parser* Expat License: Free software license used for XML parser Expat, sometimes known as MIT License...
life in China, pursuing academic or business careers in other cities or provinces.
As the expat
Expat
Expat may refer to:* A shortened version of the term expatriate* Expat : A stream-oriented XML parser* Expat License: Free software license used for XML parser Expat, sometimes known as MIT License...
community in Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
Province is an extremely small, but very visible, minority (about 1,000 out of 100 million), many opportunities are constantly afforded to foreign teachers outside of their regular duties. While their visas allow them only to work for SIAS, they attend government banquets, functions, or appear as guests on television shows. This is not particular to SIAS or Henan as international teachers throughout China are afforded these unique opportunities.
Academics
Fort Hays State University
Fort Hays State University is a public, co-educational university located in Hays, Kansas, United States. It is the fourth-largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, with an enrollment of approximately 11,200 students .- History :FHSU was founded in 1902 as the...
in Hays, Kansas
Hays, Kansas
Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University...
. Students take credit hours of American college courses all taught in English, and they are able to transfer remaining credit hours from their 200 hours of Chinese courses to earn degrees. About 10% of all SIAS students study under the partnership of Fort Hays, theoretically allowing Chinese students to earn an American degree without actually setting foot in the States.
SIAS continuously pursues partnerships with universities abroad, particularly American universities. It has been in talks with Minot State University since 2005.
SIAS is also claims to be the first University permitted by the Chinese State Degree Office to have core class in Western Civilization
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
, Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, and Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
. It may be the first school in Henan province to allow Western teachers to instruct liberal arts classes..
SIAS offers 12 associate degree programs and 54 bachelor's degrees. These include sciences, business management, computer science, economics, engineering, fine arts, foreign languages (Japanese and English), music and performing arts. In addition, Spanish and French are taught as electives.
Like many private colleges in China, SIAS lacks the heavy government subsidy to fund its administrative costs and therefore charges the students from 12,000 upwards to 14,000 RMB per academic year, , more than twice the national average.
Foreign Students
In 2006, SIAS International University began conducting an experimental project involving the addition of foreign students. Since accreditationAccreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
or transfer of credits was an issue that the school administration was unable (or unwilling) to accomplish, many of these students came to Learn Chinese, all the while taking supplemental courses that gave the student an introduction to Chinese cultural subjects like t'ai chi, massage
Massage
Massage is the manipulation of superficial and deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance function, aid in the healing process, and promote relaxation and well-being. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading", or from Arabic massa meaning "to touch, feel or handle"...
, Chinese traditional medicine, etc.
SIAS theoretically offers international (non-Chinese) students the option of earning the American degree, in which the international student attends all-English, or English-Chinese, classes. However, to date not one international student at SIAS has earned the FHSU degree. The bulk of the international student body consist of aspiring Chinese as a second language speakers either enriching their lives, or preparing for the HSK Chinese Proficiency Test
Hànyu Shuipíng Kaoshì
The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, , abbreviated as HSK, is the People's Republic of China's only standardized test of Standard Chinese language proficiency for non-native speakers, namely foreign students, overseas Chinese, and members of ethnic minority groups in China...
.