New York’s Cornell University has announced it will create an on-site, in-residence Study Away scheme for its international students who cannot get back to the US because of travel restrictions and visa processing delays.
Under the scheme, eligible international students live and study at a local campus in their home country or region and will take a mix of online and in-person classes.
“The goal of Study Away is to provide international students with a local Cornell community”
The university has said that it will have local campuses in more than a dozen locations worldwide and that students will share co-curricular activities with their Cornell peers.
“The goal of Study Away is to provide international students with a local Cornell community as well as access to educational facilities, services, and collaborations,” a statement from Cornell explained.
“We have identified Study Away opportunities through global partnerships with programs and universities around the world.”
As part of the scheme, students will stay in shared housing and participate in co-curricular opportunities while working on their Cornell online courses.
Cornell students will also enrol in coursework from the local institution and engage with local students.
“Each location is uniquely different in scope and design, including student enrolment capacity, eligibility, course and co-curricular offerings, housing, and structure,” the statement continued,
Cornell lists study locations in France, China, Ghana, Colombia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, India, Italy and Korea. Seven out of 15 of the locations listed were in China.
The university acknowledged that the program is contingent on the local university remaining open, safe travel in from surrounding areas and that space is available.
“Interested international students should prepare to be flexible and adaptable to the likelihood of changing circumstances in advance of participation and while onsite,” the statement read.
The scheme is only open to Cornell international undergraduate, graduate, or professional studies degree-seeking students who are in good academic standing as defined by their college or school.
They must also have citizenship, residency, or another status that permits them to study in the country of their requested location without the issuance of a student visa.
The Study Away scheme is only available for the fall 2020 semester.
