Study Abroad Still Strong

According to study abroad officials, the number of applications turned in this semester is close to last year's number.

Sophomore Michael Minder, a chemistry major who attended the fair, said he has not been deterred from studying abroad. He also stressed the importance of studying away from UNC-Chapel Hill's campus.

"The terrorist attack on September 11 was an isolated incident," he said. "(Studying abroad) is good because you can get an idea of what's going on outside Chapel Hill. Plus it gives a first-hand experience with other cultures and lifestyles."

Mark Nielsen, information systems coordinator for UNC's study abroad program, said he is not surprised by the number of applicants.

Nielsen said the number of applicants does not necessarily reflect the number of students who will actually go abroad. Nielsen estimates that 310 students will go this spring, as opposed to last spring's 302.

Programs in the Middle East seem to be most affected by recent events overseas, Nielsen said.

Four UNC-sponsored programs to Israel and three UNC-approved programs to Israel offered through other institutions have been suspended.

In addition, a summer program in India offered through N.C. State University was suspended because of political turmoil.

Nielsen said these instances are rare. "All of our programs are very safe," he said. "If we consider the situation not safe enough, we will suspend the program."

Madge Hubbard, deputy director of study abroad, said UNC will suspend a program whenever there is a U.S. State Department travel warning to that country.

Nielsen said he is not surprised that the attacks of Sept. 11 have not had that great of an impact on study abroad program.

But he said foreign students coming to UNC through exchange programs are finding it difficult because of new visa restrictions put in place after the attacks.

UNC-CH's study abroad program offers 200 programs in more than 60 countries. So far, more than 350 applications have been turned in.

The original deadline for applications was Sept. 13, but the deadline has been extended to Oct. 1 for several programs with open spaces.

Nielsen said a deadline extension is not unusual.

"It always takes a while before we get a mass number of applicants for our new programs," he said.

There are still openings in all of the Asian programs, the Lorenzo de Medici program in Florence and the program in Argentina.

Staff Writer Chika Patel contributed to this article.

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.