Ian Billard '04

About Ian

Ian graduated in 2004 with a degree in international studies and a minor in philosophy and a minor in Chinese.  While at Richmond, Ian studied abroad on two summer programs, one to Beijing, China, and one to LaRochelle, France.  He also spent a semester abroad in Nanjing, China. 

After graduation, Ian was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to China.  At the end of his year-long fellowship, Ian decided to stay in China.  For the past two years, he has been managing the Beijing office of the US-China Business Council where he represents American companies to Chinese government, reporting on various legal and business issues and coordinating efforts with the U.S. embassy. 

When not at work, Ian generally spends his time wandering the streets of Beijing looking for new places to eat (he was a food critic for a local magazine for a while), practicing yoga, and so on.

Personal Statement

I started studying Chinese my freshman year at Richmond with Professor Tan and was hooked from the start.  I had always known I wanted to be an international studies major, but was still surprised at the numerous opportunities UR affords its students to study abroad (I ended up going to China twice and France once--and all through the OIE!).  The general combination of language trainign, IR classes, and trips abroad helped me secure a Fulbright Fellowship by my senior year and that was that.  I've been living in Beijing (with occasional stays in Hong Kong and Shanghai) ever since, with no plans to leave.

Contact Ian

Ian invites students to contact him about his experiences at Richmond and abroad. 

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