Local colleges widen ties to China

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By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer 7:51 PM Saturday, November 21, 2009

DAYTON — Qinwen “Yvonne” Zhou earned manufacturing engineering technology degrees from both the University of Dayton and China’s Shanghai Normal University through a partnership program between the two schools.

Zhou, a native of Shanghai, China, has since returned to UD, where she will finish her master’s degree in business administration in May.

“When I come over here I can learn American culture and how people are dealing with each other,” said Zhou, 25.

That will benefit her working in international business, she said.

Nathan Sedgwick studied in China twice in the past year to complete a master’s degree in international and comparative politics at Wright State University.

“Being immersed in a different culture, you’re learning ... everything about their society,” said Sedgwick, 25, of Milford.

The number of international students at U.S. colleges and universities increased by 8 percent to a record 671,616 in the 2008-09 academic year, according to the Open Doors report released Monday, Nov. 16, by the Institute of International Education.

That growth was driven largely by increases in undergraduate students from China, the report said.

China is a top five destination for U.S. students studying abroad, increasing 19 percent to 13,165, according to the report.

During his trip to China last week, President Obama pledged to send 100,000 students to China over the next four years.

China is “becoming a dynamo” for students, internships and business opportunities, said David R. Hopkins, Wright State president.

Wright State and UD are forging ties to numerous Chinese institutions, allowing for the exchange of both students and faculty.

“It’s not about numbers of students,” said UD President Daniel J. Curran. “It’s about developing programs and developing positive educational experiences for not only the students who come here, but our own students and the dual advantage from the situation,” Curran said.

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