Emirati students on scholarships in the United States have been requested to return home if universities have temporarily shut down or suspended teaching and launched full remote learning program amid the global spread of coronavirus.
The US President, Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement issued out on Sunday, March 15, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK ) said students on Abu Dhabi scholarships are only requested to return to the UAE under these circumstances:If their universities have suspended teaching and launched a full remote learning program or if their universities have temporarily suspended learning (shut down)
Students should also return home if their host country has requested international students to return to their home countries or if the UAE has made an official announcement calling on all nationals to return to the UAE.
“In all other cases, it is optional for an Abu Dhabi Scholarship student to return home to the UAE. In all cases, students will not bare any administrative or financial consequences if they choose to return home,” said the ADEK statement.
ADEK said students choosing to return home can either continue to study remotely with their universities abroad, enroll in classes at local universities, with the aim to transfer the credits to the university abroad later or suspend their scholarship for a certain period until they can return to their university abroad.
The education regulator said it has sent out this information to students in regard to the rapidly developing situation of Covid-19 and its impact on ADEK’s ADEK “Abu Dhabi Scholarships” students.
According to ADEK , this information is valid as of March, 15, 2020, however it is subject to change based on new circulars that maybe issued to deal with the Covid-19 updates.
Students have been requested to keep close contact with the Abu Dhabi Scholarships Office at ADEK and inform them promptly of their decisions through:
ADEK said it was in constant communication with their students abroad and their Cultural Attaches to ensure the necessary precautionary measures are taken and keep them informed of the latest updates.
© Khaleej Times
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