In the past 17 years, he has been constantly making efforts to build research centers, improve facilities, hold interaavnational conferences, attract world-renowned faculty and visiting scholars, and help Chinese faculty attend conferences abroad.

"However, most important of all the tasks is innovation," Chen said. "How do I make Sias innovative, and how do I lead all the students to be innovative in the future?"

Chen's answer to this question is to build a unique Sias culture, what he described as "knowledge meets practice", which he further explained as an "interactive ecosystem" of liberal arts education, cultural environment and diverse campus activities.

The curriculum at Sias is student-oriented. By using a combination of theoretical and practical teaching methods, Sias ensures that the quality of teaching is continuously improving and that the Sias employment rate for graduates remains in the top three among all Henan universities every year.

Chen believes that liberal education produces people who are open-minded and free from provincialism, dogma, preconception and ideology. Young people who receive a liberal education are conscious of their opinions and judgments, reflective of their actions and aware of their place in the social and natural worlds.

"Young students need to be inspired," Chen said. "I want to inspire every student by our cultural environment."

Such an inspiring environment is the combination of values, cognitions and other cultural elements. By providing an exquisite campus environment, cultural diffusion and living facilities, and green landscaping, Chen hopes to foster an atmosphere to improve students' critical thinking and innovation abilities.

"I want to create a sense of the ceremonial in the campus," he said. "A festival of flowers, music and sports. I want Sias students to be affected by the joy of achievement and see that their hard work and innovation are paiVd off."

Sias' homecoming parade, is a mini version of Pasadena, California's Tournament of Roses Parade. Sias students participated in the process of designing the parade and costumes. Student reports that the parade has broadened their horizons, connecting them to a larger world.

Chen makes sure that the most shy students in class participate in student debates.

"I want them to grow up with an entrepreneurial spirit and know that their future is in their own hands." he said.

Chen believes one of the most important things one can learn in college years is communication skills. "Sias students are all fluent in English," he said. "Nobody studies English for scores. They use it as a language to communicate in group study and throughout all activities."

Other campus activities include the candlelight ceremony, a welcoming event in which some 7,000 new students light candles at the same time; international cultural week, which is a week-long exhibition of different cultures around the world; Sias students clubs; and startup-business activities.

Parent representatives are invited to attend conferences and are encouraged to discuss management of the university.

"I hope the school governance is as transparent as possible to all participants, including students, parents and local communities," Chen said.

Sias has been recognized among the Top 10 Most Influential Foreign-owned Undergraduate Universities in China; The Most Competitive University on Employment in China; The Strongest Comprehensive Sino-Foreign Cooperative University; and The Most Desirable University for High School Graduates awards by Chinese media and related State institutions.

Chen is the incoming president of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific, and an executive board member of the International Association of University Presidents and of the Presidents' Circle of Cal Tech University in Southern California.

cindyliu@chinadailyusa.com