Finance Interns Translate Textbook; Deepen Their Markets Knowledge

Master of Finance students from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business enhanced their knowledge of markets by translating a finance textbook from English to Chinese. 

As interns for the Rockville, Maryland-based Quantum Financial Advisors, XiangYu (Sophia) Meng, QiuHan Yuan and Yang Zhang “deepened their practical understanding of our capital markets through translating the book (A Beginning Guide to Alternative Assets),” says the firm’s founder Joseph Rinaldi, an adjunct finance professor.

The project was initiated in early 2015 as “a unique way to increase the learning efficiency of international students through processing complex financial ideas and jargon in their native language,” Rinaldi says.

And, with markets like Cuba opening up, he says he is contemplating other language translations for the book. In the emerging financial markets in China, he says, “there is much demand for this type of book.”

As the book’s co-author, Rinaldi says he will donate his share of revenue from the translated copy to the Smith School.

The trio of participating students completed their degrees this spring. They worked under Quantum Investment Advisor Representative and Smith graduate Kevin Shao (finance and information systems, ’14). They also collaborated with other interns in Quantum’s China division, including Smith Master of Finance class of 2015 grads Yun Lin, ShiHui He, MingYi Shi, JiaXin Fan and Chu Qi; and students from the University of Texas (Miao Zhang), George Washington University (TianYi Leng and YuFei Wang) and Indiana University (MoHan Qian).

“These students also got real world experience with sales, trading research and marketing at a financial investment firm,” Rinaldi says.