Sias University: A Private-Sector, American Startup in China's Higher Education System
Speaker: Dr. Shawn Chen, Founder & Chairman of the Board of Sias University
Dr. Shawn Chen is the Founder and the Chairman of Board of Sias International University. Currently he also serves as the President of the Association of Universities of Asia and Pacific.
Dr. Chen was born in Chongqing, China in 1960s. He graduated from Chongqing University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science. In 1982, he got his Master’s Degree from Linfield College, and then the Master of Management and MBA from Willamette University and University of California LA. He also attended Harvard University for a Certificate Program of university presidents in 2005. His Honorary Doctorates had been awarded by the University of Humanistic Studies in California USA, the University of the Cordilleras in Philippines and the University of Caucasus in Georgia.
Being educated in China and the United States, Dr. Chen’s career has embraced education, business, and entrepreneurism in both countries. In 1998, with the approval of the Minister of Education and the State Degree Office in China, Dr. Chen founded Sias International University, an innovative educational institution through which students, leaders, and scholars from East and West can meet and profit from an exchange of ideas expressed in both Chinese and English.
Located in Henan Province near the City of Zhengzhou in Central China, Sias International University has graduated almost 65,000 seniors. As Founder / Chairman of the University, Dr. Chen is solely responsible for financing, planning, implementation and assessment of the university’s overall operations. Dr. Chen has received many awards from both organizations and governments of China and the United States. Recent recognition includes Resolutions and Commendations from the City of Zhengzhou, the Provincial Government of Henan, the Governor of Kansas, the Mayor and City Council of Los Angeles, the Missouri State Legislature, and the Arizona State Legislature. He is an Economic Advisor to Chongqing and Henan Province and also a Cultural ambassador between China and U.S. His efforts on facilitating the business and cultural exchange between the two nations have been highly acknowledged.
In 2014, Dr. Chen started to serve as the President of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific. Under his leadership, AUAP had successfully carried out institutional reform of AUAP by designing and implementing many member benefit programs, such as the English Speaking Competition, Robots Design competition, AUAP basketball tournament, Student Leadership Summer camp, Innovation and entrepreneurship conference etc. Also, the Teaching Quality Monitoring and Rating System among AUAP member universities had been setup under Dr. Chen’s support. In addition, a strong tie with other international organizations in the fields of higher learning, such as IAUP and IAU, has been established. Under his presidency, a bi-membership system with IAUP was set up, so the member university of these two organizations can full enjoy the benefit of both AUAP and IAUP.
Networking with light refreshments after the discussion.