News & Events
H7N9 Influenza—China
The University of Minnesota and Learning Abroad Center are closely monitoring the reports of the H7N9 Influenza outbreak in China and possible impacts on our students abroad. We are in close communication with our affiliates and students in China. Currently, all programs continue to operate normally.
Please note that the US Department of State has not issued a Travel Warning or Travel Alert for China. Today, the US Embassy in Beijing released the following “Security Message for US Citizens”:
As the Chinese authorities continue to report new cases of a new strain of avian influenza (H7N9) in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui, US citizens in China are advised to stay informed with the latest medical guidance and practical information. To date, no human-to-human transmission has been reported and no link has been found between the laboratory-confirmed cases. Individuals in close contact with the infected were tested and the results have all been negative.
At this time, there is no recommendation by the US Department of State, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO) to evacuate from or limit travel to/from China.
Drawing upon data from our insurance providers, the US Department of State, the Overseas Advisory Counsel (OSAC), CDC, WHO, pandemic experts at the University of Minnesota, and peer institutions that support study abroad programming in the region, we currently do not plan to withdraw students or cancel activities in China. However, we will continue to monitor the situation and, should conditions change, we are prepared to act accordingly.
In the meantime, we have encouraged students to communicate with their families and assure their emails and phone numbers on file with the Learning Abroad Center and local staff are up to date. We have also taken this opportunity to remind students to register with the US Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), if they haven’t already.
Read more about the Learning Abroad Center’s Emergency procedures.
North Korean Threats
The University of Minnesota and its Learning Abroad Center are closely monitoring the North Korean threats and possible impacts on our students in South Korea, Japan, and surrounding countries. There are no University students in North Korea.
Please note that the US Department of State has not issued a Travel Warning or Travel Alert for South Korea or Japan. However, we are in close communication with our affiliates, local Korean and Japanese University partners, and students in South Korea and Japan. All programs continue to operate normally.
North Korea issued a warning on April 9th, 2013 to foreigners in South Korea to leave, stating that it does not wish to harm foreign visitors in the event of a war on the peninsula. Despite the warning, reports indicate that the situation in Seoul is normal. Foreign embassies have not issued any statements urging their citizens to depart or to avoid travel to South Korea.
On April 4th, the US Embassy in Seoul released the following “Security Message for US Citizens”:
The US Embassy informs US citizens that despite current political tensions with North Korea there is no specific information to suggest there are imminent threats to US citizens or facilities in the Republic of Korea (ROK). The Embassy has not changed its security posture and they have not recommended that US citizens who reside in, or plan to visit, the Republic of Korea take special security precautions at this time. The US Embassy takes as its highest priority the welfare of American citizens in Korea. Should the security situation change, the Embassy will issue updated information.
The US Embassy in Tokyo has not issued a security message.
Drawing upon data from our security information services, insurance providers, the US Department of State, the Overseas Advisory Counsel (OSAC), and peer institutions that support study abroad programming in the region, we currently do not plan to withdraw students from South Korea or Japan at this time. However, we will continue to monitor the situation and, should conditions change, we are prepared to act accordingly in close partnership with our insurance provider.
In the meantime, we have encouraged students to communicate with their families and assure their emails and phone numbers on file with the Learning Abroad Center and local staff are up to date.
Read more about the Learning Abroad Center’s Emergency procedures.
Photo Contest 2013
View the winners here!
Study Abroad in Istanbul Program Discount
The University of Minnesota is opening a new study abroad center in Istanbul, Turkey. Study Abroad in Istanbul, Fall 2013, will be one of the Learning Abroad Center's first programs in the new facility. If you are willing to be a part of an evaluation group, and provide us with feedback on the new center, we are offering an $800 reduction in the cost of this program. Contact Ryan McCarthy if interested.
$200 discount for new Global Seminar in Istanbul, Turkey
Offer for $200 program discount: This March the University of Minnesota is opening new UofM study abroad center in Istanbul, Turkey. The Global Seminar Constantinople to Istanbul: The Politics of Religion is one of our first programs in the new facilities. If you are willing to be a part of an evaluation group, and provide us with feedback on the new center, we are offering a $200 reduction in the cost of this Global Seminar. Please contact Ryan McCarthy if interested.
