On March 17, King’s College advised Study Abroad students to go back to their home countries. Unlike most universities worldwide, KCL did not directly recall its students, but gave them the freedom to choose. Some decided to go back home, others preferred to stay at their host universities, but all agreed that King’s approach has been the fairest.
With the fast and unpredictable spread of COVID-19, many universities were quick to recall their students. But not King’s. After a meeting of the office, held in the beginning of the week, the university decided to give the students a choice. This decision was a huge relief for some, especially for those staying at National University of Singapore (NUS). As the situation in Singapore appears to be significantly more stable compared to Europe*, most students shared they preferred to remain at the Asian university. They stated this preference in an email addressed to the Global Mobility team with the hope for it to be taken into consideration. Influenced by it or not, King’s has decided it was best to leave the choice to the students themselves. The decision sparked many positive reactions, especially by those coming from countries where they would describe the situation as being “completely out of control”.
Students were also assured that regardless of their choice, King’s is going to support them. As most universities had switched to e-learning even prior to the announcement, studying remotely does not seem problematic. However, even where concerns emerge, KCL has promised to prevent any possible negative impact on the outcome of the Study Abroad program. More information is yet to be provided.
*The article is based on information and statistics as of March 19.
