May 10 and 11, 2012: OSAC International Study Abroad Health and Safety Workshop, Beijing, China
On Thursday, May 10th and Friday, May 11th, 2012, there will be an OSAC, U.S. Department of State, College and University International Health, Safety, and Security Seminar in Beijing, China in cooperation with the SAFETI Clearinghouse, Center for Global Education, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and other organizations and sponsors.
With the 100,000 strong initiative for increasing study abroad in China and the recent significant growth already for programs there, we think this is an important time to hold this workshop.
On Thursday afternoon, May 10th, International SOS will provide a tour of their Emergency Response (Alarm) Center and Medical Clinic in Beijing.
On Friday, May 11th, there will be an all-day seminar, which will address the concerns of U.S. colleges and universities, on-site study abroad program providers, and Chinese universities. Through support from sponsors, there will be no cost to attend.
Some Topics to Be Covered for the May 11th Seminar in Beijing:
- Introduction to the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) Resources
- Count on Us: U.S. Embassy Beijing, American Citizen Services
- Health & Safety in Study Abroad - Expectations, Issues, Concerns, and New Resources
- Role of the Regional Security Officer, U.S. Embassy Beijing
- Best Practices for Crisis Management
- Mental Health Issues and Support Needs
- Special Health and Safety Challenges and Resources for Study Abroad Programs in China
- Alcohol Awareness for Study Abroad
- Other Critical Health and Safety Issues
For institutions based in the U.S., to register, your organization must be a member of OSAC. Membership is free to U.S. colleges, universities, and U.S-based NGOs and/or third-party providers with facilities, staff and/or faculty abroad. We are also encouraging representatives of Chinese universities to participate and they don't need to be members of OSAC to attend the program.
For U.S institutions, sign-up to join OSAC and/or register yourself (or your overseas staff) to attend this event: https://www.osac.gov/Pages/EventDetails.aspx?cid=1383 (Click on the Events tab to locate this program).
Representatives of Chinese universities can register by expressing interest and providing their institution name, their name and title, and contact information (address, e-mail, phone) by e-mail to 
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If you have specific questions about the event, please contact OSAC Country Councils and Outreach Coordinator, Sarah Kessler, by e-mail at 
or phone at 571-345-9989.
Gary Rhodes, Director of the SAFETI Clearinghouse and Center for Global Education at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies is helping to coordinate and will present at the program. You can contact him with any suggestions for the workshop by e-mail at 
.
OSAC is a division of Diplomatic Security in the U.S. Department of State. Their mission is to provide information and support regarding safety/security risks and risk management to American businesses, institutions and non-governmental organizations with operations abroad. These services are free. OSAC membership is also free.
The Center for Global Education at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and its SAFETI Clearinghouse serve as a national resource supporting research and practice for study abroad program development and implementation for faculty, staff, and students.
