With the outbreak of an unknown respiratory disease in Hong Kong and across Asia, Ohio University officials say they are in a "holding pattern" in making decisions about the future of scholastic programs in the region.
OU sponsors education-abroad opportunities in the region, many at the university's affiliate campus, Hong Kong Baptist University, where there were two confirmed cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome, the flulike disease that has been spreading across Asia and the world. China and Hong Kong are the epicenters of the outbreak: There are 1,279 reported cases in China and 928 in Hong Kong, according to the World Health Organization's Web site (http://www.who.int/csr/sarscountry/2003_04_08/en/). There have been 53 deaths in China and 25 in Hong Kong attributed to the disease.
One OU student currently is studying in Hong Kong as a part of an OU program, said Cathy Huber, assistant director of the office of education abroad. Officials have been in contact with the student but are not mandating she return to the United States.
The student, Emily Webb, a senior photography major from Albany, replied to an e-mail from Hong Kong. She said Hong Kong residents were very concerned about the SARS outbreak, but she is not too concerned.
"If you want to alienate yourself in Hong Kong all you have to do is sneeze in a public place - people barely take the time to give you a dirty look before running for their lives," she wrote in the e-mail.
Huber, who is in charge of the Hong Kong program, said she and others in the office are monitoring the U.S. State Department's travel warnings. She said she is also on a listserv of study-abroad professionals, where there have been numerous discussions of travel to Asia.
OU's response to the SARS outbreak echoes the trend of colleges and universities across the country, said David Larsen, chair of the Committee on Health and Safety for Education Abroad, a section of NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
"We're trying to wait until the last possible minute to make decisions," Larsen said.
Several universities across the country canceled educational trips to Asia because they passed critical dates in the planning process when there still is danger in the area, he said. Many more still are waiting to make final decisions.
"Student safety is the primary concern," Larsen said.
In addition to traditional exchange programs, OU also sponsors a Global Learning Community trip to Hong Kong, where students take classes and participate in internships, said Greg Emery, GLC director.
Numerous companies in Hong Kong already have canceled internships, Emery said, but no decision has been reached yet about the future of the whole program.
He said officials are in a "holding pattern" about whether the university will sponsor student trips to the region. Though officials are not ready to give up on travel to Hong Kong, Emery recommended that if students have other internship options available they take them instead of waiting.
OU students participating in the Global Competitiveness Program also have traveled to Asia in the past, said John Keifer, director of the center for international business education and development. Students travel to Hubei Province in Wuhan, China, and work with area businesses in consulting positions.
No decision has been reached yet about whether students still will travel to China. Keifer said SARS has not had a significant impact in Wuhan, but students traveling to the area still could be affected because they have to fly in to Shanghai or Bejing, where SARS cases have been spreading.
Keifer and Emery said they expect a decision to be reached within the next few weeks regarding student travel to Asia. About 15 students go to Asia as a part of GLC and about 10 undergraduate and 10 graduate students go as a part of GCP.
Officials in various areas of study abroad will be meeting Friday to discuss the implications of SARS on travel to Asia.
In addition to GLC, GCP and study-abroad programs, OU also offers a degree program in Hong Kong. Students at Hong Kong Baptist University take OU courses to earn a degree from OU. The students generally travel to the Athens campus for at least a quarter to complete their program, but it is not required, said Tom Shostak, dean of lifelong learning.
This quarter one student from Hong Kong is studying in Athens, and this summer Shostak said he expects three to four students to travel to Athens to study. At this time no additional precautions are being taken regarding the students who would come to Athens this summer.
OU also sends professors to teach classes in Hong Kong. Degree programs are offered in psychology, interpersonal communications, economics and specialized studies, Shostak said.
Professor of Economics Douglas Adie, who is scheduled to teach in Hong Kong this summer, said he is "a little bit concerned" about the prospect of travel abroad, but he has not yet decided not to go.
The decision depends on the progress of the disease, Adie said. If the situation improves he said he would go, if it gets worse he said he would not.
"I think the decision will be fairly easy," he said.
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