Wake Forest Study Abroad: Monitoring Ukraine/Russia

The following message was sent to students who are currently studying abroad in Europe on a Wake Forest-sponsored program.

Dear Students Currently Studying Abroad on a Wake Forest-sponsored program in Europe,

As many of you have likely been following recent developments regarding Ukraine and Russia, we are writing to let you know that WFU and our partners abroad are closely monitoring the situation.

At present, Ukraine and Ukrainian border areas of Russia and Belarus remain of primary concern. These areas are the ones specifically identified by the U.S. State Department and similar foreign agencies as locations where operational adjustments have been advised. WFU operates no programs and has no program-related travel to these areas. Still, we wanted to share with you a reminder of some general safety precautions and travel resources:

• Do not travel to Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and related border areas.
• Prior to any personal, independent travel, continue to report all of your plans according to your program’s travel reporting process. This is standard practice for all WFU-sponsored study abroad programs.
• Because you are studying on a WFU-sponsored program, you are covered by the comprehensive international health insurance policy from GeoBlue. This plan includes coverage for emergency medical and political evacuations.
• Remember that you have been registered with WFU’s travel risk management service – WorldAware/crisis24. This service provides you with real-time travel alerts pertinent to your host country. The associated WorldCue mobile app also allows you to access information for any country to which you might travel and lets you utilize assistance services from your mobile device. If you have not previously downloaded the app and need assistance doing so, then please email gps@wfu.edu.
• Similarly, before you departed for your semester abroad, WFU enrolled each of you in the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). With this enrollment, you should be receiving via email any important information from your host country’s embassy regarding safety conditions in your location.

In the days ahead, WFU and our partners will continue to monitor events. Should circumstances warrant, additional information will be provided to you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

All the best for a successful continuation of your time abroad.

Sincerely,

David F. Taylor

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