Protests currently gripping Middle Eastern and African countries have had an impact on Texas college students and their plans to study abroad. With civil unrest spreading across the region, universities are restructuring, moving or even shutting down programs to insure the safety of their students, chron.com reports.
When the revolution in Egypt happened on January 25, University of Texas at Austin students were enrolled in a study abroad program there. But when the university contacted them to set up an evacuation, most did not wish to leave, said Heather Barclay Hamir, the director of UT-Austin study abroad office. Hamir added that some wanted to explore alternatives that would allow them to stay, assuring university officials that the situation was not as dire as had been made out:
“And we just have to support them as best we can and help them understand that it’s a decision made because we are concerned about their well-being.”
A Texas A&M Arabic language program that had been based in Tunisia, and run by Tunisian-born professor Salah Ayari, had to be moved to Morocco in the wake of the Tunisian revolution. Due to uncertainty surrounding upcoming elections, Ayari felt that moving the program would be a prudent safety precaution, although he pointed out that the State Department doesn’t currently have a warning placed on the country. Still, even with the relocation, the number of students signed up for this summer’s session is only about half of what Ayari initially expected:
“Part of the reason some people are not going is because of the uncertainty over there. Before the unrest started in Tunisia and evolved into wider unrest in the region, there were almost 30 people who signed up…. That number declined a little, partly because of parents’ concerns about safety, but I would expect in the future when things settle down the program will grow.”
