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China exchanges lead to businesses, jobs for college students

Wright State University graduate student Nathan Sedgwick has made two separate study abroad trips to China in the last year through the UCIE. After returning from Shanghai, he has started two local companies to help connect the Miami Valley with Chinese students and businesses. Staff photo by Jan Underwood

Jan Underwood/Staff photographer Wright State University graduate student Nathan Sedgwick has made two separate study abroad trips to China in the last year through the UCIE. After returning from Shanghai, he has started two local companies to help connect the Miami Valley with Chinese students and businesses. Staff photo by Jan Underwood

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Jan Underwood Qinwen "Yvonne" Zhou, 25, is a residence coordinator for UD's International Learning Living Community. She received her undergraduate degree in engineering through the Shanghai Normal/University of Dayton partnership. She decided to stay on to earn an MBA. She's also working to help students from all over the world adapt to life at UD. Staff photo by Jan Underwood

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By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer Updated 8:02 PM Saturday, November 21, 2009

Two students from opposite ends of the globe both illustrate the benefit of educational exchanges between Dayton-area universities and China.

Nathan Sedgwick, a Wright State University graduate student, returned from the second of two exchange trips this year to China and started a local business, Ohio China Trade.

The consulting firm tries to connect Ohio or Chinese businesses looking for solutions or opportunities in each other’s markets, said Sedgwick, 25, of Milford.

Sedgwick also launched New Century International, a study-abroad recruitment company.

“Our big goal is to just bring as many Chinese students to the Miami Valley as possible,” he said.

Qinwen “Yvonne” Zhou of Shanghai, China, will complete her master’s degree in business administration at the University of Dayton in May. She earned manufacturing engineering technology degrees from both UD and China’s Shanghai Normal University through a partnership program between the two schools.

Zhou, 25, serves as the residence coordinator for UD’s International Learning and Living Community, a group of 90 international and U.S. students living together in campus apartments.

Zhou’s next step might be law school, perhaps at UD, she said.

Whether Zhou works in the U.S. or China will depend on the opportunities presented to her.

“I’ll definitely apply for some of the companies in the U.S. because I got my bachelor’s degree and my master’s degree here already,” she said.

Zhou hopes to put her education to use here before she goes back to China, she said.