On Monday Amanda Knox’s voice and verdict will be heard after her 19th appeal against being charged in the killing of Meredith Kercher in 2007 during her Italian independent study abroad program through the University of Washington. A $1 million PR campaign by her parents has the media in a stir craze with the remaining days of a verdict ahead.
In 2009, an article highlighted the changes the University of Washington (UW) was making in their study abroad programs to ensure safety and more security for students. During the time of the horrific incident to Kercher, UW was already in the middle of their two years creating the “Global Support Project.” The “Global Support Project” brought stakeholders from campus together to review current practices and how to better support their while abroad. Today UW has a site called “Global Operations Support” which focuses on more than just safety-it encompasses the many layers to studying abroad from foreign national payment to travel insurance. During the initial charges, reports from parents supporting their students to study abroad was mixed in thinking more about what really could happen when they are away. Today, it seems to be more about media play between three countries-Italy (location of crime), the United States (where Knox is from), and England (where Kercher was from) and a few famous people like Donald Trump who are saying boycott Italy.
The true impacts beyond the families involved are the real outcomes that could happen when students travel. Pre-departure information should include some harsh realities of what to do in worse case scenarios while studying abroad. Although most cases like that of Knox are rare, but what happens when students are in the midst of a legal case and behind bars with family members who do not speak the language trying to assist? Emergency planning should be in place as prevention in effort to help students and not scare them about the potential rare things that could happen. As we watch the case of Knox after Monday, it will be interesting to see if there are some reactive changes made by international program services around the States. Another article asks some of these same questions. I will wait to see if any changes are put in place or if the media will miss this information as they look to “Foxy Knoxy” for her next move after the verdict.
While this is a very rare occurrence when studying abroad, I think that it was a wake up call for study abroad departments on campuses. When I studied abroad, the pre-departure course was mandatory (although there was no follow up or punishment if you missed it) and we covered several different areas important for international travel: safety, laws, visas, and vaccines. However, I think this case is proof of how important it is to follow up with students while they are abroad. I had absolutely no contact with my home institution and my host university did not communicate with me past the initial matriculation day.
ReplyDeleteStudying abroad helped me to be independent and rely on myself, and I would encourage any student thinking about studying abroad to do so. A large part of my development occurred while I was away and during my transition back to the states. However, I think the entire study abroad process needs to be reevaluated. Students are often unsure of how to relate the once-in-a-lifetime, transformative learning experience to their life when they get back and can suffer from a reverse culture shock when they return. By following up regularly with students or requiring them to look reflectively at what they are experiencing while they are abroad may help students to see their experience in the bigger picture and hopefully inspire more responsible decision making while abroad. There is no way to tell whether students are emotionally mature enough to handle the decisions and situations they'll encounter while they are abroad; therefore, the university should invest more in the students and their experience.
I have already seen this issue on some news channels, and the worst is the possibility that how student could be involved in such a serious issue as murder.
ReplyDeleteFrom here we must think about the causes and conditions that may be make the students who are studying abroad fall-down in serious issues which could harm them, their families and their country.
The second point, who is carrying the responsibility of such as this case? The culture of the student in his country? Or student's family? or the media?
Whatever the reasons or circumstances, the country must prepare its students to do several things,the most important they should study the other countries culture and their laws and regulations in order to avoid falling into error or problems, because the laws vary from country to another one. Also, the role of the universities and media of raising awareness through e-mails or newspaper or lectures to local and international students, so this will contribute to overcome many of the problems.