As the University of Dayton China Institute delegation’s tour bus snaked through the quiet Sunday-morning streets of Nanjing, we glanced over as another bus pulled alongside us.

Kurt Jackson stood up, pointed excitedly to his University of Dayton physical therapy shirt and waved with a huge grin. What are the chances of running into a bus carrying seven doctor of physical therapy students and their professor from campus? Nothing spoke more tellingly of UD’s growing presence in China than that singular moment.

“We hadn’t seen any American people and happen to see you drive past us. It’s crazy,” said Andrew Lengerich of Cincinnati.

The group had just spent nearly a week at Nanjing Medical University, where they learned about acupuncture and other therapy techniques. Like us, they were on their way to the airport to catch a flight to Beijing for three days of sightseeing.

“It’s been excellent, more enriching than I expected,” Jackson said. “This is our third visit to Nanjing, and the relationship is growing. These kind of visits give our students a comfort level with China.”

Two faculty members from Nanjing already spend a semester each year taking courses in UD’s doctor of physical therapy program. “If a faculty member or two goes through the whole program, they could act as clinical instructors. A student could come out and do a clinical rotation that counts for credit in China,” Jackson said.

With the Nanjing exchange behind them, the students — all first-time visitors to China — came prepared to mark the moment. “We brought the UD Magazine, and we’re going to take a picture at the Great Wall,” said Emma Steinmetz, of Medina, Ohio.