Keeping safe and healthy while studying abroad is a topic that people don't like to talk about much, though it always lurks in the back of their minds.. With instant news about trouble spots flaring up around the globe, people are acutely aware that dangerous situations can happen anywhere, anytime. To take a recent example, the holocaust of 11September2001 in New York (USA) simply occurred out of the blues!!! Many people of Indian origin including students were adversely affected. The most stringent security measures and advanced technology could do nothing to prevent it. The  incident only goes to show that no place on earth can be really secure or immune from such disasters.

Generally speaking, all  major countries of the world which invite students from overseas to join their universities and educational institutions, make  ample arrangement for security and overall well-being of the students, accidents and casual incidents notwithstanding. "Most study-abroad providers are behaving responsibly," says William Cressey, Vice President and Chief Academic Officer of the CIEE, referring to the measures almost all programs take to enhance safety and to prepare students to deal with problematic situations should they arise.

Someone to watch over me
Not only are study-abroad directors intensely aware of safety issues, the overseas institutions that they partner with make every effort to watch out for students while abroad. Students don't just show up to be left on their own without assistance, says Dimitri Lazo, Chairperson of the Committee on International Study and Student Exchange at Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In most cases, the receiving institution has an orientation program for incoming students, and it provides students with ongoing support.

The people directly involved with foreign students also feel a personal responsibility for the safety of participants. Senior specialists and academicians  feel it's critical for parents and students to be able to put their trust in the people who sponsor overseas study.

www.danger.call home
But no matter how trustworthy the study-abroad program and no matter how prepared the students are, incidents do happen. Dangerous situations break out unexpectedly. Communication is the key to dealing with the problems. The best thing in past years has been the rise of the Internetaccessibility. It allows directors to maintain constant contact with students and institutions around the world so they can receive information about conditions abroad and to alert students as to how to handle threatening circumstances.

"We keep our ears to the ground," says Lewis Fortner, Associate Dean of Students in the College, University of Chicago. He, like others, constantly checks the State Department advisories that are regularly updated regarding safety and health. In many cases, parents learn of a breaking situation before hearing about it on the news because students are warned and are told to call home immediately to alleviate any fears their families might have. There are few places where foreign students are warned not to go. Consequently, it's up to students and parents to assess the risk and get the most timely information about safety and health by asking precise questions of study-abroad sponsors.

Students abroad also bear a major portion of the responsibility for their safety and health by thinking about the daily choices they make. The reality is that sometimes people will do things overseas they would never think of doing at home. In many cases, it's the students traveling alone and not under the auspices of a study-abroad program who get into trouble or who are victims of injuries or crimes. It has been observed that  some participants look at Europe as a vast theme park, not realising it has all the problems that America has. 

In addition to making wise choices, there are abundant resources students can read before going abroad. Study-abroad offices hand out reams of materials and bibliographies. The State Department posts current travel advisories on the Internet as does the Center for Disease Control. Individual countries and embassies have Web sites and brochures. Tourist boards and study-abroad associations offer a wealth of information about conditions overseas. Study-abroad sponsors also utilise the experiences of returning students who talk to students going abroad so they can glean all those important up-to-the-minute details.

The more sophisticated a student is about the local culture and the more fluent in the language, the more he or she can act responsibly. They can visualise what's happening and are better able to look after themselves. In the final analysis, the most powerful safety net for students going abroad is their own common sense and cultural sensitivity.  If they use the same kind of appreciation of the environment that a professional traveler uses, they'll be able to take advantage of what the world has to offer. Learning about new people and cultures far outweighs whatever risk is involved.

Recommendation for Students
In study abroad, as in other settings, participants can have a major impact on their own health and safety through the decisions they make before and during the program and by their day-to-day choices and behaviours.

Participants should:

1. Read and carefully consider all materials issued by the sponsor that relate to safety, health, legal, environmental, political, cultural, and religious conditions in host countries.

2. Consider their health and other personal circumstances when applying for or accepting a place in a program.

3. Make available to the sponsor accurate and complete physical and mental health information and any other personal data that is necessary in planning for a safe and healthy study-abroad experience.

4. Assume responsibility for all the elements necessary for their personal preparation for the program and participate fully in orientations.

5. Obtain and maintain appropriate insurance coverage and abide by any conditions imposed by the carriers.

6. Inform parents/guardians/families and any others who may need to know about their participation in the study-abroad program, provide them with emergency contact information, and keep them informed on an ongoing basis.

7. Understand and comply with the terms of participation, codes of conduct, and emergency procedures of the program, and obey host-country laws.

8. Be aware of local conditions and customs that may present health or safety risks when making daily choices and decisions. Promptly express any health or safety concerns to the program staff or other appropriate individuals.

9. Behave in a manner that is respectful of the rights and well being of others and encourage others to behave in a similar fashion.

10. Accept responsibility for their own decisions and actions.

11. Become familiar with the procedures for obtaining emergency health and law enforcement services in the host country.

12. Follow the program policies for keeping program staff informed of their whereabouts and well being.

Not so bad after all
Health and safety considerations are universal, to say the least parents and guardians are concerned about their wards even when they go away for higher studies in cities within the country itself. Besides says Parimal Bose a resident of New Jersey and a former student of Columbia University NewYork "I have been in the states for nearly thirty years now. I can vouchsafe that nothing major has happened to me even when I was a student". He pauses to add" Back home in India in Calcutta, I have seen violence among university students and molestations of girl students and so forth. Is it possible to ensure safety in the truest sense of the term?" Dipankar and Dipti Chatterjee who migrated to the USA as students, echo similar sentiments. According to them health and safety transcend international barriers and a lot depends on the individuals themselves. Monisha Dhawan, who studied French at the University of Strasbourg, says" Young boys and girls must not venture abroad if they have no confidence to look after themselves. And parents must not send their wards abroad if they are going to be worried all the time. Let me assure you from personal  experience that studying abroad is neither nightmarish nor a trauma.........."          

When appropriate, parents, guardians, and families should:

1. Obtain and carefully evaluate health and safety information related to the programme, as provided by the sponsor and other sources.

2. Be involved in the decision of the participant to enroll in a particular program.

3. Engage the participant in a thorough discussion of safety and behavior issues, insurance needs, and emergency procedures related to living abroad.

4. Be responsive to requests from the program sponsor for information regarding the participant.

5. Keep in touch with the participant.

6. Be aware that the participant rather than the program may most appropriately provide some information.