Sias & SNU

HISTORY OF CHINA CROSS-BORDER PARTNERSHIPS

In March 1999, a unique opportunity to launch face-to-face, dual bachelor’s degrees in mainland China occurred with the introduction of Dr. Shawn Chen, an American businessman, to FHSU.

A year earlier, Dr. Chen had launched Sias International University (Sias), the first private university owned by a Chinese-American in China and approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education at that time Sias was affiliated with the prestigious Zhengzhou University located in the Henan province of China, the sister province to the state of Kansas. At the time, Dr. Chen was seeking a regionally accredited American university partner to offer dual bachelor's degrees for Chinese students. Fort Hays State University had experience in delivering quality education at a distance and had the faculty and administrative qualifications he was seeking, including an affordable tuition for these rural Chinese students.

Dr. Chen presented the Fort Hays State University profile to the Ministry of Education in China. The Ministry gave Dr. Chen permission to negotiate a contract with FHSU to deliver courses leading to bachelor's degrees. The initial agreement was signed in May 2000 and the first FHSU courses were offered in the Fall 2000 semester to 40 students. A decision to start small was intentionally made in order to maintain the same high quality of academic programming as on the main campus in Hays.

A goal was established to double the number of students every year, at least for the first several years. Since then, Fort Hays State University has graduated over 15,000 students and is currently serving over 4,000 students at two Chinese partner universities: Zhengzhou Sias University and Shenyang Normal University. Fort Hays State University does not have satellite campuses in China; rather it operates through partnership agreements to deliver courses leading to dual bachelor’s degrees. The courses are taught by faculty hired by FHSU (U.S. citizens). The faculty with appropriate education and experience live and teach on the campus of the partner institutions in China except during the pandemic when FHSU & its China partners delivered online courses.

Interaction of western faculty and Chinese students with Chinese faculty and students has been viewed as a means of expanding intellectual development and understanding in both directions. FHSU's entry into China at an early stage in the development of the nation of China when it opened up for greater access to higher education is an example of FHSU's willingness to take risks with a partner who is receptive to American higher education collaboration. These opportunities are relatively rare. FHSU continues to identify other such opportunities worldwide.

Shenyang Normal University, a public university located in Shenyang, Liaoning, China, partnered with FHSU in 2003 to offer dual bachelor’s degrees in its College of International Business (CIB). CIB is responsible for about half of the foreign teaching staff at the Shenyang Normal University (SNU). Although a smaller program than Sias, SNU is committed to achieving high quality learning outcomes. FHSU enrolls over 1,000 students at Shenyang Normal University, CIB. These students take courses from FHSU that are delivered by FHSU faculty in a face-to-face environment, except when the pandemic necessitated online delivery. Students in the program take courses from SNU to complete both degrees.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS IN CHINA

At Zhengzhou Sias University, in Xinzheng, Henan, China, the academic programs offered in partnership with Fort Hays State University include:

BBA in Management
BBA in International Business & Economics
BBA in Finance
BBA in Management Information Systems
BA in Global Business English
BS in Health Studies

At Shenyang Normal University, the academic programs offered include:

BBA in International Business & Economics
BBA in Finance
BBA in Marketing
BS in Organizational Leadership (International Finance Majors)
BA in Organizational Leadership (International Trade and Marketing Majors)