At the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak has made countless students and parents planning to study abroad worried and anxious.
Will the outbreak affect Chinese students' admissions? Will returning international students be affected and face suspension?
CheersYou（清柚教育） is hereby opening this column to provide real-time rolling updates on the latest study-abroad policy changes in major countries/regions worldwide, as well as official statements from universities, and to suggest recommended measures to cope with these changes.
UK
The UK has now suspended flights between China and the UK, strengthened entry screening for the outbreak, but has not restricted Chinese nationals from entering. In addition, the UK visa centers are closed and will resume work on February 17.
Therefore, the most direct impact is on students in the following stages:
Students who have signed up for spring exchange programs
Many domestic universities have overseas exchange partnerships with UK schools, and there are also Sino-British jointly-run schools like Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Indeed, many students choose to go to the UK for spring exchange, and under the impact of the outbreak, the exchange programs will have to be temporarily put on hold.
Students preparing for fall 2020 enrollment and still working on language scores
Taking the most popular UK graduate programs as an example, for students aiming for September enrollment in UK graduate programs this year, there may be those still trying to improve their overall and component IELTS scores. If their scores are not up to the required level, they need to apply for pre-sessional language courses in advance. Now, due to the outbreak, February test dates have been canceled, and March test slots are fully booked and cannot be transferred.
Under these circumstances, taking tests overseas is also very restricted. CheersYou（清柚教育） recommends that everyone apply for pre-sessional language courses as early as possible to secure a spot! Do not let yourself end up in the awkward situation of being unable to achieve the required scores and unable to enroll in a language course.
Students applying for business master's or PhD programs who need interviews
For some schools' business programs and PhD programs (such as Oxford and Cambridge), you could go to the UK for in-person interviews, but at this time, all universities will definitely change to online interviews. Students in the application process must check their application emails every day!
Will the outbreak affect UK university admissions?
From the current situation, the first case in the UK was a Chinese student at the University of York and their family, which caused great concern among York students and local residents. In response, the University of York issued an official statement, clearly stating:
1. The confirmed student did not appear on campus or in university accommodation before diagnosis;
2. The confirmed student was not on campus or in accommodation at the time of diagnosis.
And according to feedback from current York students, the university has strengthened epidemic prevention measures, will operate normally, and has added a COVID-19 Q&A section on its website.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of York, the President of the Students' Union, and the President of the Graduate Students' Association issued a joint statement: Let's respect each other, condemn insults and racist incidents triggered by the outbreak, and encourage students to report and seek help from the university.
Overall, currently UK universities will not affect Chinese students' admissions due to the outbreak, nor will it affect current students' studies. Only when returning to campus will there be strengthened health declarations and quarantine prevention measures.
UK confirmed cases by region (source: the sun)
Official notifications/email replies from UK universities
University of Oxford
Stating that it always welcomes Chinese students and staff, and provides a series of health protection advice. At the same time, it takes a zero-tolerance approach to harassment and discrimination during this period.
University College London
Students who have concerns about visa issues under the outbreak situation are advised to contact the Student Immigration Advice team promptly.
University of Bristol
For most Tier 4 students involved in quarantine or travel restrictions, visas will not be affected. However, if the absence exceeds 60 days (including absences for other reasons before the quarantine or travel restrictions began), you may need to seek more specific advice.
Newcastle University
The interpreting and translation programs will postpone the original IELTS score submission deadline of February 14. The new deadline will be determined based on students' actual test booking situations.
University of Warwick
Students whose studies are affected by the outbreak can use the university's Mitigating Circumstances system; students whose mental health is affected by the outbreak can contact the university wellbeing team.
