Program Foundations

Program Details

Travel Planning

SECURITY ISSUES

The safety of UMD students studying abroad is a prime concern of the program. There are general safety issues related to living in a big city environment and traveling in foreign countries. Orientation sessions will cover issues of personal safety and protecting personal possessions.

We have developed special precautions to deal with such international crises as the Libyan bombings in 1996, the Gulf War in 1991, the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, and the 2003 Iraq War.  The program is registered with the U.S. Embassy in London and is on the mailing list for any travel warnings issued by the United States government. Parents and students may also monitor U.S. travel advisories on the web site http://travel.state.gov. In addition, the program director is in close contact with other international programs which pay careful attention to safety concerns. Students will be advised if there are countries which they should not visit or areas within Britain that are considered unsafe. If there is an international emergency in which the U.S.State Department or the University of Minnesota considers evacuation to be desirable, the program has contingency plans to arrange for immediate transport back to the United States.