How have terror attacks have affected study abroad?

As global instability rises, most recently with attacks in Manchester, London, and Paris, the safety of students studying abroad is more important now than ever

At the University of Michigan, students traveling abroad with a university-funded program are required to go through an educational process detailing health and safety procedures in the event of an emergency abroad. But why are such processes necessary?

The rise in terror attacks globally is raising new questions for those interested in study abroad, as well as new challenges for university study abroad and global programs.

I talked to Dr. Rachael Criso, Director of Global Alumni Engagement within U of M’s LSA Opportunity Hub. Dr. Criso has been working for the Opportunity Hub for six months, but has held several positions in the LSA Dean’s office, Cyber within the Ross School of Business, and in the French Department at the university for fifteen years.

She has noticed that, even though safety has always been a priority, there has been a shift in preventative safety protocols and procedures. “It has been stepped up in the past five to ten years,” Dr. Criso said. “When ITOC (International Travel Oversight Committee) was created at Michigan, new safety protocols have come about.”

For example, Dr. Criso told me about a newer protocol that states how “no University of Michigan-funded undergraduate programs are allowed to take place in any location where there is a U.S. State Department Travel Warning. And, if a graduate student wants to study, work, or do research in one of these places, they must write a preventative plan including contact information and a detailed contingency plan in case of a security incident.

“We had an undergraduate program in Turkey that started in 2005, and it was a big program with about 20 students in four to five cities. Three years ago, the State Department placed a travel warning on Turkey, so we no longer include Turkey. Starting in Gezi Park in Istanbul from 2012-2013, a peaceful protest ended in violence, and now more protests are occurring.”

Furthermore, an informational process is required for each student traveling abroad with a university-funded program. This process begins with signing a binding contract, registering their travel destinations on a Travel Registry, attending several classes to learn about health and safety abroad, and purchasing “GeoBlue”, an affordable health insurance specific for CGIS programs at Michigan.

“This affordable insurance is required for everyone, it costs  $1.10 per day abroad, and it covers repatriation, injuries, and evacuation. Departments can even purchase it [the insurance] for programs.”

The Travel Registry at U of M is an interesting invention, because it allows each student to always be accounted for.

“For example, in London, within less than an hour, we sent an email to every student in the city. This email gave information, tips, emergency phone numbers, and allowed students to check in with the university and their parents,” Dr. Criso said. “We know where everyone is abroad, even side trips.”

Some of the information in the email included contact information for Michigan counseling resources available on campus in case a student needs a safe person to talk to. Because of the security incident at Notre Dame in Paris, France on June 6, a similar email was sent out to Michigan students in France.

Here is the format of the email:

When asked if there are any new study abroad trends as a result of global instability, Dr. Criso said:

“I have noticed a decline in students going abroad. This may not be just because of terrorism, but could include money and other opportunities, it’s hard to know, but I saw a 20 percent increase in the numbers of students going abroad for a few years, and then a 5 percent decrease recently.”

“Ireland was a popular location last year. Probably because it’s less expensive, you don’t have to purchase a U.K. Visa, it’s a more authentic experience, and might become more popular because of terrorism.”

Furthermore, Dr. Criso is not just in touch with students.

“I’ve also have more conversations with parents about safety, and they’re more involved,” Dr. Criso shared, “Our programs in India get a lot of bad press for sending women [to India], but it remains a relatively safe program for our interns. And we advise them to never walk anywhere alone, and use your instincts to make sure everything feels right.

Because of increasing global instability, it was inevitable that international opportunities at the University of Michigan have changed. But, despite a slight decrease in the number of students going abroad, it remains a safe option for university students seeking global experiences.

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