To many Maties, attending a semester exchange abroad is the stuff of dreams. It offers an exciting opportunity to meet new people, explore different parts of the world, immerse oneself in the local culture, and experience new ways of learning at your host institution. However, as the small group of Maties who have had to remain abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic will tell you, being on an exchange during a global pandemic poses its fair share of challenges.
Despite the abnormal circumstances, however, they have been demonstrating amazing resilience, creativity and true Matie spirit. In a series of webinars held with these students abroad, they described how they had been adapting to their host universities, including how the health crisis had helped them form new bonds with fellow students in their residences and dorms, whom they would not have ordinarily met.
Euné Coetzee, SU student currently on exchange in Italy, is sitting out the lockdown in the city of Bologna. “When COVID-19 broke out, I was aware that it could become a global crisis. It spread to Italy shortly after I arrived. Although my host city falls outside the designated 'red zone', one can't help fearing the virus and feeling uncertain about the way forward," says Euné. She is grateful that the University of Bologna's academic programme has continued online, which means she has been keeping busy with assignments and reports. Euné is also fortunate to still have a roommate, who has kept her company through the crisis.
Some Maties were able to return to South Africa just before the local lockdown took effect. Shahina Patel, an MEng researcher, was on exchange at the University of Oslo in Norway when that institution, including all its research centres, was shut down in the second week of March. “I was worried that I would find myself stuck in Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, I was able to return home on 24 March, catching the last connecting Emirates flight," she explains. Shahina says both her Stellenbosch and Norwegian supervisors had constantly checked in on her until she was able to return to South Africa.
While the rapid spread of the virus sparked widespread concern, the responses of most host universities abroad did help ease some of the exchange students' worries. According to Elizabeth Gleeson, on exchange at the University of Padova, Italy, the institution has been doing everything possible to put international students at ease through regular correspondence. “They have also implemented free internet access to enable the use of online facilities and platforms for classes and meetings, among others," Elizabeth says.
Apart from attending online lectures, most students have also found other, fun and creative ways to keep busy. Elizabeth and a friend are whiling away the time in between studies doing different activities, including baking and enjoying a glass of champagne in the residential garden. And over at Montana State University, SU student Féroll-Jon Davids will be featuring in two shows as part of a virtual music concert series.
The semester exchange programmes are facilitated by Stellenbosch University International (SU International). From Sciences Po in Paris and the University of Leipzig in Germany, to the University of West Virginia in the United States and Nagoya University in Japan, Stellenbosch students have an array of options to choose from at more than 100 SU partners abroad. These vary from shorter summer-school options to full six-month semester exchanges. Students may also qualify for a travel bursary from SU International's Global Education Centre to attend a mobility opportunity. Consult SU International's website, http://www.sun.ac.za/english/SUInternational, for more details.
