Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) continues in its efforts to support the community in this challenging period. There are many teams across SUSTech working relentlessly to ensure the health and safety of all on campus, but SUSTech Global is working around the clock and the world to help students on exchange, and our international students handle the unusual situation.

The internationalization of SUSTech has been something of which it has been proud. In the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, it adds additional challenges for SUSTech Global, who have developed new logistical skills to assist the confronting experiences of students stranded abroad, or those who are in China and cannot return to their home countries.

Exchange students

One such student is the Class of 2021 student Guo Shiyue. In early January, she flew to the United States to take part in a month-long exchange program at North Carolina State University. With the program finishing on February 8^th, and her flight back to China canceled, her parents in Hubei Province contacted SUSTech for help.

Through the dedication of SUSTech Global staff, Guo Shiyue was able to get back to China after nearly thirty hours of travel, arriving at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on the afternoon of February 13^th. On arrival, she was met by a car that drove her directly to SUSTech to ensure that there was no infection by taking public transport. As soon as she arrived at the main gate of the SUSTech campus, Guo Shiyue was taken to the isolation dormitory to ensure the health and safety of everyone.

She was so overcome with the kindness shown to her by SUSTech Global that she wrote a thank you letter.  “When I was told that to ensure my safety, SUSTech would send a special car from Shenzhen to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport to bring me back, I cried… For our students, SUSTech has not only accomplished the task of educating us and solving puzzles but also loving us eternally!”

Guo Shiyue is not the only one that has been affected by her international travels. Four other SUSTech students were in the United States and the United Kingdom, thereby impacted by flight cancellations. SUSTech Global collaborated with the Student Affairs Office to ensure that they were able to re-enroll and get back to campus into the isolation dormitories.

International travel logistics have filled WeChat groups of SUSTech students, and their concerned parents as countries around the world have restricted access to flights to and from mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan Province.

Guo Shiyue looked back on her situation. “I would do experiments until 10 pm each night, and the first thing I would do on returning to the dormitory is discussing flight options. We would look to see what flights had been canceled, where we could fly through – the full gamut of options. We would often talk until the early hours of the morning.”

She said that all the students were anxious, confused, scared, and tired, but the SUSTech Global staff was consistent in their messages by providing accurate information. Their calm approach and willingness to provide second and third options are continuing to help students now. More than 40 students are returning to SUSTech from all points of the globe, so SUSTech Global is assisting them with adjusting their flights.

SUSTech Global has always taken a long-term view of student safety and ensured that all emergency contacts were up to date at the earliest opportunity. In light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, this database became a vital tool in communicating essential information. SUSTech Global created numerous WeChat groups to alleviate filial anxiety and coordinate potential transit routes. The provision of timely and accurate information from SUSTech Global has meant that all students conducting exchange activities outside of mainland China have now returned home and are safe. This pastoral care reflects the ongoing student-centric approach that SUSTech is taking to its broader educational mission.

International Students at SUSTech

While many Chinese students ventured far from home, some of our international students stayed on campus during this time. Others have returned to their home countries and are unsure about when they can return. SUSTech Global has worked to buttress these students from the problems off-campus by keeping them safe and informed.

The key issue for international students is consistent communication. SUSTech Global worked with the College of Engineering, the College of Science, the Teaching Affairs Office and the Graduate School to create a WeChat group for the fifty international students from fifteen countries that provides timely information to students about what is needed, while also assisting them to maintain their health and hygiene during this difficult time.

Smaller groups of international students and faculty have developed into self-care networks, with essential SUSTech Global staff providing vital information where necessary to students. SUSTech Global has worked with all departments to adjust to language barriers and time differences that international students are facing.

Kazakhstan undergraduate Ardaq Merey thanked SUSTech for its pastoral care, saying that he had received many reminders of how to look after himself during this time.

Looking ahead

Despite the challenges facing the SUSTech community, SUSTech Global is finding opportunities for its students. The cancelation of a wide range of examinations has hampered a wide range of exchange opportunities for the coming year.

However, those challenges have brought about new opportunities for international exchanges and enrolment. SUSTech Global has undertaken a wide range of online meetings with higher education institutions across Europe while actively promoting itself to high schools and universities through intermediaries in Eastern Europe, South East Asia, and East Asia.[1]

SUSTech Global will continue to find new opportunities from the challenge of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as SUSTech expands on its broad internationalization goal.