By Edgar Estrada
Dominican University has put on hold its study abroad trip to China because of the coronavirus outbreak, according to Patrick Homan, the political science professor and organizer of the China trip.
“We might still try to hopefully go if things get better, maybe later in the summer, but as of right now we are probably not going in May unless everything in China clears up,” he said.
The coronavirus has been deemed a global health emergency and has sickened more than 28,000 people in China and killed 636 worldwide.
The trip was planned for May 13- May 23. The faculty-led study abroad program, run by the political science department, is designed to explore modern day China through a social, business and political lens. Students get the opportunity to tour venues such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the world-renowned terra-cotta warriors in Xi’an, and the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Base.
Homan stated that he is awaiting clearance from the school as travel warnings have been released by the government, but he understands that this temporary holdout may take a while as safety is clearly this biggest factor.
“I think most people are on the same page that this makes sense,” he said.
