In pursuit of a brighter future

An increasing number of midcareer Chinese are seeking greener pastures by furthering their studies overseas, but life has not been all fun and games for some of the spouses who have tagged along

For Zhang Dida, her new life in the United States is a stark contrast to the one she had back in Shanghai where she was constantly bogged down with work.

One of the many Chinese citizens who hold onto the F-2 dependent visa, meant for spouses and children of F-1 student visa holders, Zhang was presented with the opportunity to take over her family business but decided that she would instead follow her husband, who wanted to pursue a master's degree in Business Administration at Boston University. The couple arrived in the US city last August.