The value of study abroad programs should not be undermined because of the increased risk of terrorist attacks. Student safety should be paramount, but there are risks that are unavoidable. The University of California understands safety precautions must be balanced with the importance of education and is taking the proper steps in doing so.
The deaths of two UC Berkeley students studying abroad in France and Bangladesh last month raised serious concerns about the safety of such programs. In response, the University told Reuters it is evaluating whether it should curb study abroad programs where the risk factor is too high.
Several safety measures are already in place, however, and the UC should resist any pressure to preemptively protect students by cutting programs prematurely. Instead, it should continue programs while improving safety training that is already in place.
The University coordinates region-specific safety education, conducts thorough safety analyses of potential destinations and has evacuation plans covered by the travelers insurance it provides free to all students abroad.
At UCLA, the International Education Office works closely with the Office of Insurance and Risk Management as well as third-party risk analysis firms to constantly assess the safety and stability of the 43 countries in which the UC operates study abroad programs. Hadyn Dick, executive director of the UCLA International Education Office, said that in addition to these precautions, the UC does not send students to any areas where the State Department has issued a travel warning.
Additionally, Dick said students on study abroad programs are prepared for the general risks they face abroad, such as street safety and regional concerns. Unfortunately, terror attacks are an unpredictable and are a general risk among these issues.
They are not similar to the political unrest in Turkey, which prompted the UC to suspend its programs in the country last spring. Some have cited the suspension as precedent for curbing programs, but the truth is students are no safer from terror attacks at home than abroad.
It is impossible to determine clear risk any earlier than the University already does without unnecessarily narrowing the opportunities available to students.
The world can be an unpredictable place, and there is no surefire way to guarantee safety abroad. However, the option to study abroad is valuable to students and the UC is making the only rational choice – and should continue to do so – by preserving its robust program in the face of terror, while ensuring students have the protection and information they need.
UC students should be reading Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) warnings by city to make an informed decision and avoid countries where the US Department of State has countrywide warnings that seriously advise US Citizens to strongly consider not traveling there at all.