Friends from Shanghai find each other again

By Sofia Santiago

After a whole semester, 7,400 miles and a  22-hour flight, two friends were finally reunited: senior business administration majors Jiarui Dai and Nayun Lin. 

They are able to call Rider home, thanks to the Sanda-Rider Cooperative Program, a joint effort between Rider and Sanda University in Shanghai, China. Due to universitywide changes, this will be the last year the program will run. 

Since 2005, the program has given students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science along with a Master of Business Administration or a Master of Accountancy degree from both Sanda and Rider. During students’ senior year, they are required to study for two semesters on Rider’s campus.

The program required a Sanda GPA of 2.5 and above and a passing score on the CET-6, the national English proficiency exam for college students in China.

Although Dai and Lin have been studying English since kindergarten, they are especially excited to improve their skills at Rider.

“It is a good environment to speak English, and, because after I come back to my hometown, I seldom speak with foreign people,” Dai said.

Lin explained that the experience is beneficial for her, since she hopes to work for her family’s business in international trade. 

Dai shared her plans to pursue her master’s in the U.S., and now that Rider is not an option, she is looking at schools on the West Coast.

As students of the program, they have been classmates and friends since their freshman year, and the two originally planned to make the journey together starting in spring 2026 and finishing in fall 2026, before the program ends.

However, because of visa issues, Lin was unable to depart on time, and Dai had to come to the U.S. alone. 

“I was nervous before I came here because I’m taking a long flight to the U.S. and I’m alone, and I don’t know [if] I can make friends here. I didn’t know anything,” Dai said. 

The pair talked through social media during this time, Dai sharing her new experiences and feelings and Lin supporting her friend virtually and catching her up with what was happening back home.

“I [was also very] sad because I was just waiting for the visa for a very, very long time,” Lin said.

Halfway through the spring 2026 semester, Lin received good news. 

“[Just when I wanted] to give up because I [was] already going to school in China, the visa came, I told my teacher and she said, ‘Maybe you can [go] next semester, so you can do it,’” Lin said.

Now, the two are able to share their time abroad together and meet up every day. They both enjoy traveling and have similar music tastes, so they plan to attend concerts and explore New Jersey, New York and the surrounding areas together. 

Dai will have to return to China at the end of this semester, leaving Lin alone for spring 2027. However, the pair expect to graduate together in Shanghai, reunited again 7,400 miles away.

This article is part of the Home Away From Home series by The Rider News to highlight international students from the S.N.O.