The University of British Columbia said it has cancelled its second term for exchange students in Hong Kong while it ensures the remainder of its students in the protest-racked region can get out.
The university said 31 of its students were attending four universities in Hong Kong, where protests have grown increasingly violent, and now 20 of them have left the area.
Vice-president for student affairs Ainsley Carry said the remaining 11 students are safe and accounted for with six having firm departure plans, two working on travel plans and three staying in the area with family.
The students are being offered $1,000 in emergency funds to help them in their travels and the university said 27 of them have accepted the cash.
B次元官网网址淲e are working with our partner institutions and universities in Hong Kong to determine if our students can complete their term from a distance, to ensure that they receive the academic credit that they have worked so hard for,B次元官网网址� Carry said.
The majority of the students on exchange in Hong Kong this term had not planned to remain there in the second term, said Laurinda Tracey, UBCB次元官网网址檚 advisor for student safety abroad.
The university said it will work with students affected by the cancellation of the second exchange term to provide options that will include switching to another university or deferring or withdrawing from their exchange.
Last week, Hong Kong Polytechnic University became the latest battle ground in protests that began peacefully in June before turning violent with clashes between police and protesters. Police blockaded the university after hundreds of students occupied the campus.
UBC does not have a partnership with Hong Kong Polytechnic and itB次元官网网址檚 not one of the universities that was hosting UBC students in Hong Kong, Tracey said.
The universities that UBC is partnered with have gone B次元官网网址渁bove and beyondB次元官网网址� to support UBC students, including helping to arrange for short-term accommodation, Tracey added.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l keep that in mind, and weB次元官网网址檒l continue to monitor and just keep an eye out for when things become safe again for students to resume activity,B次元官网网址� she said.
UBC does not have any information about what events its students may or may not have been participating in, Carry said.
Protests in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory were sparked by a proposed bill that would have allowed certain criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China to face charges, a move that opponents viewed as a blow to Hong KongB次元官网网址檚 legal independence.
The bill has been suspended, but the protests have grown to include demands such as universal suffrage when electing Hong KongB次元官网网址檚 leaders, amnesty for protesters who have been arrested and an independent investigation into the use of force by Hong Kong police.
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