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Syracuse University has opened several partner programs at universities in mainland China for international students studying remotely during this semester. 

SU opened the programs at Southwest University in Chongqing and East China Normal University in Shanghai so students can take in-person classes even if they are at home. Students need to pay an extra program fee in addition to their normal SU tuition to enroll in the programs.

Though the classes don’t provide the same college experience as being present at SU, the programs are a good alternative to entirely remote learning during the pandemic, Chinese international students in the programs said. 

Students enrolled at Southwest University can choose to attend classes at the college’s main campus in Chongqing’s Beibei District or its Overseas Learning Center in Yubei District, part of Chongqing’s urban area, according to the program’s website.

SU students are allowed to take up to two in-person classes at SWU, and can commute between the two campuses — which are about an hour apart by subway — for their courses. They are also required to live on campus at one of the two locations.

Yuxi Sun, a sophomore psychology major from Guangzhou, China, has been taking classes at SWU’s Overseas Learning Center since Feb. 27.

“One reason I chose this program is that I could actually meet more people in a new environment, a real college campus,” Sun said. “I’ve taken enough online classes before, and it really makes you feel lonely and isolated.”

Aside from the two classes at SWU, Sun is taking another four SU classes online this semester. But the Wi-Fi connection at SWU isn’t always stable, which can make online classes a challenge.

Other international students who are studying remotely from their home countries said they’ve experienced technological difficulties trying to access their classes during the pandemic.  

Rex Zhang and Yiming Ge, two freshmen from Beijing and Anhui Province whose majors are undecided, are also in the SWU program. Neither of them has been able to visit SU’s campus in person yet.

Ge is living at the Overseas Learning Center but commutes to SWU’s main campus on Mondays, and Zhang currently lives on the main campus.

Zhang said he enjoys being on campus with other local students. The program offers classes to local students who are attending other partner international universities and chose to study remotely this semester.

But other students said the living conditions are much different than what they’ve experienced at SU.

Sun is currently living in a four-person dorm room at the Overseas Learning Center campus. Unlike the split-double room in Brewster Hall that she lived in while at SU, Sun said her room at SWU doesn’t give her much privacy. Students are also required to adhere to an 11 p.m. residential curfew, and hot water for showers is only available during designated times, Sun said.

The Syracuse in Shanghai program at East China Normal University is run through the ECNU’s Global Education Center, in collaboration with the Council on International Education Exchange, one of the world’s largest study abroad providers that shares a strong relationship with SU, according to the program’s website.

Lei Zhai, a sophomore economics major who is currently taking classes through Syracuse and ECNU in Shanghai, said the program has provided a good substitute for fully remote learning.

Unlike the SWU program, classes at ECNU are all taught in English and students aren’t required to live on campus.

“I think the in-person classes here are rather easy, basically intro-level courses,” Zhai said. “So most of us can do pretty well in those and invest more time and energy on the SU online classes.”

Zhai also said the program has helped him have a more reasonable class schedule than when he was taking fully remote classes. Many international students who have been studying remotely also said they’ve experienced challenges accessing their classes given time zone differences.

It is unclear whether SU will continue to offer these programs next year, but many Chinese international students said they are still unsure if they’ll be able to return to campus in the fall. SU officials have said they will do everything they can to support a return to campus for international students. 

International students studying from home said programs like Syracuse in Shanghai serve as a good substitute for remote learning. Courtesy of Lei Zhai

Although Zhai is thinking about coming back to campus next semester, he said the current travel restrictions make the trip costly. Travelers cannot enter the U.S. border if they have been to China in the past 14 days, so Zhai would have to quarantine in another country before flying to the U.S.

Other international students who are studying remotely and on campus said travel restrictions have made it difficult to travel between home and SU.

Zhang and Ge also haven’t been able to obtain a visa since the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and consulate generals in other Chinese cities are still closed for visa applications. If they wanted to come to SU next fall, they said they would likely have to obtain a visa in Singapore, but would also be subject to travel restrictions to get there.

Zhang and Ge said some of their peers are considering taking a gap semester or even a full year off. If they can come to SU next fall, they said it will likely take time for them to get used to the campus environment, which they couldn’t do during their freshman year.

“It’s certainly unfair for us international students if it’s all in person next fall, as we’re still facing the travel restrictions and visa issues,” Zhai said. “Our hopes are the same, that this whole thing could get over soon and we could get back to normal business on our own campus. But if the overall policy doesn’t change, there’s little we could do.”

Published on April 6, 2021 at 10:42 pm

Contact Francis: [email protected] | @francis_towne