Introduction to the CIU
To Know Him and to Make Him Known
Columbia International University (CIU), founded in 1923, has a history of nearly 100 years. It is a prestigious private comprehensive university in the United States, located in the capital city of Columbia, South Carolina.
CIU offers a College of Arts and Sciences, a School of Business and Computer Science, a School of Intercultural Studies, a School of Education, and more. All programs are accredited by authoritative bodies such as SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges) and CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation). CIU is authorized to award Bachelor’s (BA/BS), Master’s (MA/MBA), and Doctoral (PhD) degrees.
Columbia International University (CIU) is recognized by the Ministry of Education of China and is included in the list of “Foreign-related Regulatory Information Network of the Ministry of Education of China”.
Introduction to Kepha
In 2022, CIU established The Kepha Institute. The word Kepha is the Aramaic form of Cephas, which originally meant rock. We use this name in the hope that our graduates will become strong cornerstones for transforming communities. The main function of the institute is to integrate the existing international projects of the university, manage them administratively, and further optimize the development and synergy.
Our vision
Kepha Institute is committed to developing community leaders who care for others, are committed to public welfare, and are talented and talented, with a worldview rooted in the search for truth. To achieve this mission, we have established academic programs that inspire students to be creative, critical, character-building, professional, and communicative.
Kepha Institute is committed to imparting skills in philosophy, education, business, psychology, and other disciplines in the pipeline, developing people with integrity and expertise to spread truth and build society.
Committed to the democratization of high-quality higher education
- Truth education: Education at the level of worldview, values, and beliefs is also the foundation of a sound personality
- Character Education: To cultivate students' noble taste in moral aesthetics and common sense, with the aim of cultivating students' sound personality
- Professional Education: Pursue excellence in professional knowledge and skills to develop students into competitive industry leaders
Message from the Provost
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The Kepha Institute anchors on the key vision of higher education for the commoners. It is an effort of organizing high-quality educational resources to deliver them via online platforms at a cost that’s affordable to the qualified recipients. The Kepha Institute focuses especially on the developing communities around the world, providing them with professional trainings as well as moral and spiritual upbrings. We encourage our graduates to live in, to serve and to transform the communities to which they belong. With those goals in mind, the Kepha Institute offers practical majors, e.g. MA in Clinical Counseling, MBA, MA in Cybersecurity and MA in Education. The Kepha Institute prepares to offer undergraduate majors in near future, which includes Psychology, Business, Computer Science, Education and etc.
Kepha as a special term comes from John 1:42, where Jesus first met Peter, he called him Cephas. Kepha is the original Armaic form of Cephas. We assume this name with the hope that our graduates may serve as solid foundation for communal transformation.
The Kepha Institute exists as a unit of Columbia International University. All degrees conferred by Kepha bear the same value as other programs at CIU. Our degrees are accredited by SACCOC, as well as other professional accrediting agencies. Columbia International University is also an academic institute recognized by PRC Department of Education.
We cordially welcome same-minded friends around the world to partner with us. There are opennings in Adjunct Professor and Teaching Assistant positions to which you may apply.
Dr. James E. Lanpher
Provost / Provost
Dean's message
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The core concept of Kepha Institute is civilian higher education, that is, the organization of high-quality higher education resources on a global scale, through the online platform, to the audience to pay affordable tuition to eligible students. Kepha Institute is mainly aimed at the relatively resource-poor areas of the world, through solid vocational skills training, as well as the cultivation of moral and public welfare qualities, to encourage students to take root in the community, serve the community, and transform the community. In order to achieve this goal, Kepha Institute currently offers practical majors, mainly including: Master of Clinical Psychological Counseling, Master of Business Administration, Computer Cyber Security, Master of Education, etc. Kepha Institute is also developing undergraduate programs in psychology, business, computer science, education, and more.
The word Kepha comes from John 1:42, when Jesus first met Peter and named him Cephas, which is the Aramaic form of Cephas. We use this name in the hope that our graduates will become strong cornerstones for transforming communities. Kepha Institute is part of Columbia International University, and all degrees awarded by the college are accredited by the Association of American Universities and related industry associations. Columbia International University is also an overseas institution recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Education.
We sincerely welcome like-minded friends at home and abroad to participate in the teaching and construction of this project. The program is recruiting visiting professors and teaching assistants, and friends with expertise are welcome to apply!