From Kings to Oxford, and from Engineering to Entrepreneurship.
After completing her A Levels at Kings, Shuyu went on to study Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, where she spent the next eight years developing her academic and professional skills. Today, she has taken a different path, combining creativity and business as the co-founder of a premium tote bag company inspired by Oxford. We caught up with Shuyu to hear about her journey, what she's learned since leaving Kings, and the advice she'd give to current international students.
Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself?
A: Hi, I'm Shuyu from Beijing, China. I studied at Kings from 2010 to 2012. Then I went on to study at Oxford for another eight years.
We're here today at Exeter College, one of the colleges at the University of Oxford, where I studied Engineering Science. Those four years were a really lovely part of my life.
Why did you choose to study at Kings?
A: I would say Kings offered everything I needed. I had quality teaching for all the subjects I studied at A Level, so I'm really grateful for my time there, the teaching, and all the opportunities Kings offered.
What are you doing now?
A: I’m currently building my own business, a premium tote bag company.
We actually call our product the Travel Tote because we think people who travel a lot and enjoy adventures will really love using it.
Quality is really important to us, so every bag is made from 100% cotton to make sure it lasts. We also made the straps thick and wide so they're much more comfortable on your shoulder.
All of the illustrations are inspired by Oxford and were created by my co-founder, Andrew, who is the artist and designer behind every piece of artwork.
How did you go from engineering to running your own business?
A: My whole educational background is in engineering, so after university I joined an AI start-up in London called Tractable AI.
It was a really promising and interesting business, but through that experience I realised I wanted to build something of my own. I didn't want to stay in a business-to-business environment – I wanted to create a product that people could enjoy directly.
After that, I spent another two years exploring different ideas, understanding what people actually needed, and figuring out what could become a viable business.
Fast forward two years, and here we are with our little tote bag business.
What advice would you give to students who are studying abroad?
A: The biggest piece of advice I'd give myself ten years ago is simply: do lots of things.
If we're here in this country, having travelled from so far away, we should make our time count by exploring as much as we can. Try new experiences, make the most of every opportunity, and enjoy the journey.
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