3 students returned home from Anhui province because of the spread of coronavirus in China.
On February 1, three students who flew out the previous day from the city of Wuhu (Anhui province, China) successfully came back home: two people returned to Nizhny Novgorod and one person to the Vladimir region.
Also, on February 2, one more Minin university student came back from Shandong province after completing a semester at Shandong University of Technology.
One of the students mentioned that when they were leaving the situation in university hostels was absolutely Ok and it was safe to stay there. Besides, the Chinese university took all the necessary measures to help students:
The return trip to Russia was very long, but we are happy that we’ve finally got home. Our health condition is good, we have no complaints. The university in China where we studied provided us with all the necessary help: we were given medical face masks (20 pcs per person), our temperature was measured and hot water was turned on during the whole day for us to wash hands (usually hot water was provided on a schedule 2 times a day). To increase the effectiveness of all these health security measures, university authorities closed the campus for outsiders and offered to deliver food to the university hostel to reduce the number of exits on the street, because the number of infected people was growing every day and it was dangerous to be outside the university hostel. I would like to thank everyone who supported us, especially our parents, Minin university and the government of the Nizhny Novgorod region, who helped us a lot and controlled all our way to Nizhny Novgorod. Yes, the situation in China is quite dangerous, but we are sure that the epidemic of this virus will end soon and we will safely return to China to continue our studies.
Right now all students are doing well, their health condition is ok. The Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing in Nizhny Novgorod controls the situation. It was decided to organize a temporary, two-week quarantine. During this period students will be studying through distance learning.
In the 2019-2020 academic year 24 Minin university students participate in exchange programs at Chinese partner universities. 17 students came back to Russia in December after completing their program or on holidays, 3 Minin university students decided to stay in China until the beginning of the second semester. They mentioned that situation in Anhui province is calm and safe, the host university takes all the necessary measures to avoid spreading of the virus, provides students with medical face masks and recommendations on how to behave in current situation. Authorities and teaching staff of Minin university are in close contact with representatives and administration of Anhui Normal University, as well as with Russian students.
For now, both universities decided to prolong holidays for students until, at least, February 24th. After the epidemiological situation in China normalizes, universities will continue their work and they are ready to prolong studies under academic exchange programs for the summer.
Students who were supposed to leave for China in February will stay in Russia until the resumption of the educational process in China. In order not to break educational process, students will begin this semester at Minin university.
Notes:
Anhui Province is one of the priority partners of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Cooperation between partner regions is carried out under the Agreement on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Humanitarian Cooperation of July 25, 2014.
Anhui Normal University is one of the key Chinese partner universities of Minin university. 6 programs are being realized by Minin university in cooperation with partner universities in China. Among them are double degree program (after completing the program students receive 2 diplomas (Russian and Chinese), joint education programs (1-2 semesters), short-term exchange programs for students (summer and winter schools).
