Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the Office of International Affairs (OIA) of USTB has worked to meet the requirements of the Office of Prevention and Control of COVID-19 of USTB, rapidly adopting counter-epidemic measures for the health and safety of the faculty and students. Recently, by taking a series of practical and thoughtful prevention and control measures in the course of its work, the OIA successfully carried out its duties in regards to the management of the foreign teachers of USTB in an orderly manner.
Epidemic Prevention and Control Work of Foreign Experts
The Office of Prevention and Control of COVID-19 of USTB was established on January 26, 2020. It was decided that USTB would make the task of preventing and controlling the epidemic its primary focus, and would integrate the foreign experts and teachers into the unified plan. The OIA actively responded to the university’s work plan, clarified its main responsibilities, coordinated with the schools and assigned special personnel to take charge of the epidemic prevention and control work of foreign experts; the relevant personnel maintained 24-hour effective communication with the foreign experts and undertook what tasks were necessary. As a result, the OIA successfully ensured the smooth implementation epidemic prevention and control work of foreign faculty and staff.
Implementation of Screening Measures
After carefully understanding the relevant notices from the Office of Prevention and Control of COVID-19, we quickly coordinated the implementation of the various prevention and control measures and established a strict and detailed reporting system for the foreign experts and teachers. With the close cooperation with the various schools, we took the lead in investigating the epidemic situation; it also set up a monitoring system of foreign experts for tracking their situation in a timely and comprehensive manner, recording their physical condition and travel information every day, while being sure to update the record every day.
Adhering to Timeliness and Humanistic Care
While laying a solid foundation for epidemic prevention and control work, the OIA also actively carried out publicity and education work to ensure the foreign teachers were kept abreast of the situation. Using a WeChat group for foreign teachers and of foreign affairs, the OIA updated the foreign experts on the epidemic situation in both Chinese and English, guided them to be critically minded and encouraged them to actively respond to the school’s epidemic prevention measures and appeals. The OIA continuously updated the school’s English website, released information in English about epidemic situation and prevention and control activities to teachers at home and abroad, and worked to organize its community. In addition, the OIA solved practical difficulties for foreign teachers, such as handling temporary access certificates for those living on campus, cooperating with other departments and schools to meet the needs of foreign teachers under home quarantine, keeping in touch with foreign teachers at all times and solving various difficulties for overseas teachers working online.
Messages from Foreign Teachers:
Ayden Gramuglia
To my dear students,
I know that many of you are feeling really down right now under these current situations. The idea of being restricted to many of the things we have taken for granted for so long is unimaginable. Remember! We are at war! We are at war with a common enemy that we all know as the Corona Virus! The time is now to understand that every step and small inconvenience we take now to ensure this virus does not spread, must come from the individual! As individuals, we must remember that a true soldier fights because he does not hate what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him! The time is now that China will show the world how our country has maintained its discipline and self-sacrifice during this deadly viral epidemic. Realizing that what we do today, will make all the difference to protect thousands of lives in the coming weeks. The popular saying goes: “when the going gets tough, the tough gets going”. But the reality is that the tough should always be going, because that’s what makes us tough in the first place. China has faced many challenges and has become stronger with each obstacle! Remember, this is just one! We will pull through! We will all see each other soon and life will go on because of what we do today!
Good luck and be safe!!!!
Lucy Rowling
Hello everyone!
To say that 2020 has not had the greatest of starts would be an understatement. As we all struggle through this new challenge, let’s remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I know a lot of you will be so bored! I am too; I don’t like the new, quiet Beijing, I miss the noise and the chaos. However, now that classes have started online, we have at least something to fill our day.
Remember that it is just as important to keep your mind active as well as your body, times like these can really play games with our minds.
Remember that we are all in the same boat; no matter where we are from, we are all dealing with this together, so some patience and understanding can go a long way.
Hopefully the situation will return to normal soon and we can see each other in the classroom.
Stay safe and protected.
James W. Bruner
Being a newcomer to USTB and throughout my first semester here, I have observed a few things about the campus. Next to that huge gymnasium is a square filled with people from all walks of life. Grandparents, parents and children, dancers, students marching in uniforms can be seen on any given day along with couples sitting on the stone benches, quietly talking in the midst of the night. Right beside that square is a straight road which if you wake up early enough in the morning, you can see all of the students running back and forth before their classes begin.
While people might think it's the classrooms, the hulking buildings or the glorious lights, the ranking of the university, the well known teachers who remain devoted to their students, it's that road which in my view stands out the most. Every single student in the history of USTB has left their own footprints on that road. And it's those footprints of dreams, aspirations, as well as the fellowships formed which help us get through the more difficult situations in life. Sure enough, the virus that all of us are dealing with today has caused anguish and sorrow; it has uprooted our lives, and courageous people have been and continue to be at the forefront trying to prevent its spread and we wait anxiously to return to our normal lives.
Remember that whenever you feel the tiredness of staring at that computer for hours on end along with the uncertainty that life brings us, it’s the journey, struggling, striving and marching along that road which binds all of us together now and in the future.
Junko Okumoto
親愛なる北京科技大学のみなさんへ。
みなさんお久しぶりですね。
「新学期に元気な笑顔で会いましょう！」と約束して別れたのに、画面を通しての再会になってしまいました。
なんでもなかった平凡な毎日が、こんなにも幸せなものだったのかと知りました。この世で一番大切なものは目に見えないものなんだと。
みんなと過ごした日々、食堂のごはん、運動場から聞こえる声、すべてが私の大切な日常でした。中国で過ごした日々は短いですが、ここで温かい情を受けて、私もすっかり科技大学の一員になったのだと心から感じています。
コロナウイルスは憎いけど、目に見えない敵がこんな感情を教えてくれたということも事実です。
また平凡で幸せな日常が戻って、みんなの笑顔が見れる日を楽しみにしています。その日までみんなも各地で元気にしていてね！
大好きなみんなへ我爱你们
Junko Okumoto
Patrick
Liebe Studierenden der USTB,
ich hoffe, es geht Ihnen, wo immer Sie sich gerade aufhalten, gut.
Für alle bedeutet die Corona-Epidemie eine Herausforderung, selbst für diejenigen, die sich in einer sicheren Lage befinden – wie ich in meiner derzeitigen Quarantäne.
Es besteht für mich nicht die geringste Gefahr, persönlich mit dem Virus in Kontakt zu kommen, und trotzdem bereitet er mir Kummer.
Ob ich es möchte oder nicht, täglich stoße ich auf Berichte und Kommentare, die die Angst vor dem Virus zum Anlass nehmen, um nationalistische oder kultur-rassistische Ansichten zu entwickeln.
Ich denke, es ist unsere Aufgabe in dieser Zeit, die Unangemessenheit solcher Verknüpfungen zu erkennen und nicht selbst in ähnliche Denkmuster zu verfallen.
Ich habe den Satz gelesen, Panik sei nie eine gute Strategie. In diesem Sinne hoffe ich, dass wir unsere übertriebene Ängstlichkeit in den Griff bekommen und das Vertrauen in unsere Mitmenschen, egal woher sie kommen, nicht verlieren.
Ich freue mich darauf, Sie bald hier auf dem Campus wiederzusehen!
