Tel Aviv University. Photo Shutterstock Two students have returned already. The third will probably arrive home on Wednesday, says Sjef Moling of the Student Service Center.
‘The government’s travel recommendation has been adjusted from yellow to orange’, says Moling. ‘That is our cue to discuss whether our students should return and whether they need assistance to do so. That is always our approach in situations of crisis: we check whether there are WUR students present in the area and determine whether their exchange or internship can continue. Should the students require assistance for their return trip, we have a party that assists us with the practicalities. That is why it is important to register your trip with the university so that we know what students are where in a crisis situation.’
Two of the three students were doing an internship near Lebanon. ‘The Israeli government has called on all people in the north of the country to evacuate. So they had to leave anyway.’ The third student is on exchange in Tel Aviv. ‘We advised them to return, as we have no way of knowing how the situation will develop and whether the student will be able to safely continue their studies.’
Code orange
A further two students were scheduled to start their exchange in Israel this week. ‘That has been cancelled’, say Moling. ‘Permission for an exchange is not easily granted when code orange is active. Only if your programme makes it absolutely necessary to visit that particular country, perhaps an exchange will be possible at a later time.’
WUR has reached out to Israeli and Palestinian students in Wageningen to ask whether the university can be of any assistance and, if so, how.
