Over May 12 and 13, graduating undergraduates and postgraduate students made their way back to Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). They praised SUSTech’s commitment to safety, with all departments working together to implement the prevention and control regulations for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The COVID-19 Working Group, led by SUSTech President Shiyi CHEN and University Council Chairperson Yurong GUO, collaborated with all senior leaders of SUSTech to develop the right plan for students to return to campus, and their preparations were supported by all levels of government.

Vice President Chun LU has led the charge in running simulations on campus to ensure that all departments were ready for students returning to campus. Many different situations were practiced, preparing everyone for many different eventualities while allowing departments to refine their plans.

Different members of the SUSTech community volunteered to guide students back to their dorms, including the taking of nucleic acid tests, the new processes with food in the cafeteria, and temperature checks.

SUSTech is maintaining high-quality contact tracing through a wide variety of government-sponsored programs to ensure that every student was ready to return to campus. It ensured that students were safe to return to campus, and they received the necessary documentation to return to campus in an orderly and staggered manner.

As students return to campus, many procedures have been put into place to guarantee the on-going safety of students on campus. The dormitory management system that has been introduced will require regular ventilation multiple times a day, and plenty of disinfection of public areas, among many other safety issues. There are mask collection points as well as mask disposal points to make sure that students can dispose of their masks in a safe and timely manner.

Students returning to campus are being offered face masks, bottles of hand sanitizer, and disposable alcohol wipes, all donated by alumni.

The entire SUSTech community has come together to welcome students to their “homes,” with the residential colleges playing a vital role in promoting this feeling along with electronic billboards throughout campus welcoming students back to their second homes.

The residential colleges have arranged office hours for their counselors and tutors, both online and offline, so students feel comfortable on their return. They also provided unique gift packs to their students, made up of anti-epidemic supplies, snacks and drinks to welcome them back to campus.