I keep hearing of parents who are concerned about sending their child to a NSLI-Y country, or want their kid to switch their ranking to put a "safer" country first. While all the NSLI-Y countries are really safe to study in, I'm only a NSLI-Y Jordan alumni, so I've asked alumni from each of the other NSLI-Y countries to talk a little bit about day-to-day safety concerns in their host country. Sometimes, as alumni, we tend to just say "it was totally safe!" without qualification. (Newsflash, abroad or not, ZERO countries are
entirely safe).Hopefully this can be a resource for applicants and parents to see how safety varies between NSLI-Y countries, and how students make sure they have a safe study abroad experience.
I've included the alumni responses below, in alphabetical order by country. Bear in mind that each and every exchange student has a different experience, and while hopefully this is a starting point for discussion and thought for NSLI-Y applicants and parents, this is just one NSLI-Y student's experience from each country. Please comment if you have experience in a country, and would like to add onto any of these.
China - Eric B.
You needed to be aware of Chinese people taking advantage of you due to your lack of language ability or cultural understanding. Don't be alarmed, however, I've never once felt unsafe. Rather, they may rip you off regarding the price of an item, overcharge you on a taxi ride, or something else. It's just people being greedy, but not ever have they been violent.
As a foreigner in China, you stand out immensely. Because of this, eyes are typically always on you (people asking for pictures, looking at your unique physique, or people just wanting to practice their English with you). This is good because you are never really alone and will seldom have situations where you feel vulnerable - there's always safety in numbers. Another thing is that the Chinese highlight foreigners like celebrities. For that reason, you will find that people are always willing to help you out (such as police officers), if you ever need it.
[Protests and political tensions] never affected my safety, I would say. Although political views sometimes differed, my Mandarin was not really at the level to engage in political debate... so you quickly learn the art of smiling and nodding. Also, the Chinese concept of "saving face" is really important. In public, it would be a shame for a Chinese person to do anything that is unhonorable, because they would "lose face" or in other words hurt their reputation. That's why Chinese people are often so nice, because others's perception of them is very important in Chinese culture!
Yes, China was a foreign country, and yes, crime does occur. But, the NSLI-Y program would never put a student in an unsafe area, ever. Additionally, the Chinese government keeps crime in check with an iron fist, so crime is not as common as in the United States.
India - Eyal H.
As a student, I found that being aware of my surroundings and possessions was the most important safety concern in India (and quite frankly, the exact same advice would apply to an exchange student in New York City). Being careful about money, cameras, iPods, and phones was always my number one concern— over the course of my year abroad, I did a lot of independent travel around Delhi, but since I was careful to only stay in safe areas, I never had to worry about other threats.
I also found the stereotype about Indian parents to be very true while I was abroad: although you will almost always be with a host family member, sibling, or friend from your host country, your host parents will always keep track of where you are, ask for extensive plans, and in some cases cross-check those plans.
The US diplomatic presence in India, NSLI-Y, and my implementing organization alerted me to all areas of protest and political tension and did not allow me to go near them. While it was tempting for me to join the Anna Hazare anti-corruption protests, crowds in India can turn violent very quickly and without warning, and getting trampled is a serious issue. I would highly suggest to stay away from crowds because the risks of getting separated from friends, having personal items stolen, or getting injured far outweigh the benefits of participating in a demonstration. Standing in a crowded line to buy ice cream or riding the Metro during rush hour should suffice if you would like to experience the feeling of a crowd of sweaty and smelly people!
In regard to the recent rape in Delhi: your implementing organization will prepare you for what to expect both at a pre-departure orientation/gateway orientation and once you arrive in the country. It is very unfortunate that being a woman in India comes with such consequences, but by staying aware of your surroundings, you will stay absolutely safe. Indians on the street stare at all foreigners, and getting used to the "looks" and "catcalls" will all be part of the immersion experience, but something that you will barely notice by the time you leave the country.
Jordan - Yours Truly.
Amman was as safe as any American cities. You had to be aware of what was around you, but it was safe to walk around at night, and 99% of people are friendly, and would help you if you needed help.
Taking cabs, women always sit in the back, while men can sit in the front. Women also are expected to wear long skirts or pants, and very modest blouses. While some people seem to think that this is some sort of women's oppression, the impression I got while in Jordan was that these customs were in place out of respect for, and protection for, women. Agree with that logic or not, I'd say that if you follow these customs as a woman, you're definitely really safe. We got very few cat-calls, if any. Jordanian culture is really based on respect, and a large part of that is respect for women.
There were definitely protests in Jordan. But, protests occur in certain places, at certain times, and those things are planned ahead of time. The locations and times are well known, emailed to Americans by the embassy, and therefore easy to avoid. The vast majority of our group went for the entire duration of the trip without so much as seeing a trace of a protest, despite the fact that violent protests occurred while we were there. You would have to make an effort to be at a protest. You can't end up there by accident.
As far as the influences of international politics on safety, the absolutely only challenge would be if you are Jewish. To make it clear - you'll be fine. Five of the fifteen people on my trip were Jewish. You just have to be aware of the tensions between Israel and Palestine, understand that the vast majority of Jordan is Palestinian, understand that Jewish and Israeli are synonymous in Jordan, even when it's not accurate, and understand that it's a conflict that has had a very direct impact on many Jordanians. Jewish students on exchange CAN AND WILL be perfectly safe in Jordan; they just have to be aware of the prejudices in the region, and know how to handle it, which is something that NSLI-Y makes sure to cover with Jewish students both before departure, and at orientation.
Morocco - Hassan H.
As a male it was fine, but for females cat-calling was definitely a problem. In our case, we took it upon us (the boys) to look after the girls and make sure they got home safe / weren't harassed. Other concerns were pickpocket and thieves on the buses; we never used them for that reason. Plus, they're not really convenient. The only other safety concern we had was the traffic and driving. Crossing the street is quite chaotic, but after our first few days we got acclimated. It's just a matter of being safe and attentive as a pedestrian. Other than that, we never felt threatened or in danger as long as we followed common sense and what we were told during orientation. If course there's a shady character here or there, but by paying them no attention we never were harassed by it.
I never had to worry about walking around - in most big cities in the USA, it's better to walk with someone. In Morocco, the same rule applies, but it was never uncomfortable or dangerous to walk alone, day or night. Safety is also more visible there - police are everywhere and shop owners do seem to look out for tourists if possible. The people in general are very nice and willing to help which is a big plus [compared to] some parts of the USA. Also, I would say that there was always a sense of safety- we never felt threatened or in danger, and the environment, people, and culture all contribute to a safe and comfortable environment.
I don't remember any protests or political demonstrations during our time. Generally, Moroccans love their king and are satisfied with government, so they don't feel the need to protest. Before we got there, there were some, but the king was open and allowed them to occur with a police presence for safety and monitoring. He's also made some democratic reforms, so that's helped with keeping people satisfied. Political activity and protests never affected us, but they were quite interested in learning about America and our opinion on big name politicians - particularly Obama. The other things in neighboring nations didn't really set anything off either. People in Moroccan are just generally happy- their parliament and king work pretty well together and they have the freedoms they want from their government. All in all, political tension is probably one of the smallest worries I had. However, we were told that if any organization/protest did start, to stay away and leave just for our safety.
Oman -Ariel V.
The only safety - which wasn't really safety; it was more of a respect thing - concern we had was to remember not to eat or drink in public, since we were there during Ramadan. There was nothing regarding safety that we had to be concerned about [more than in the United States].
There were no protests in Oman while we were there, and the during the only day in which we were warned that there would be protests (it had to do with Israel) there were none. In Yemen, there was and still is political tension, however there was no spillover that we had to be worried about, and it didnt affect our daily life in Oman.
There was nothing in terms of safety [for girls] that was different, I just had to remember that I couldn't wear short-anything because of the environment I was in.
Russia - Kira W.
The differences I noticed are would probably be the same going to any urban place: keeping track of my stuff, more cautious crossing the street, etc. Russian drivers don't stop for pedestrians and if you're with other Russians, they probably won't wait for a crosswalk. NSLI-Y has a dress code (nothing extremely short or revealing, that sort of stuff) that is much more conservative than what Russian teens where. No safety differences between girls and guys, as far as I could tell... Guys' families were maybe a bit less protective?
One time some drunk man came up to us during lunch and started shouting at us. Program people and the restaurant dealt with it for us though. By the reactions of the Russians in the restaurant, it seemed like that was really unusual though. Other than that, people sometimes tried to talk to us calmly and we just had to know to get up and go someplace else.
Honestly, I felt extremely safe over there. NSLI-Y has a fantastic support system in place if something goes wrong, but I never really felt in danger.
South Korea - Marisa Jo R.
Honestly, I felt much safer in Korea than I did at home. A stroll in the neighborhood at 11pm was no different than a stroll in the neighborhood at 2pm. I actually acted more "recklessly" (i.e. late night walks) because I felt safer. Drivers were way wilder, so I only had to be careful in crossing the street. [There were] usual concerns about pick-pocketing in tourist areas and on the subway. I was aware of one or two parts of town not to be in after dark, as well as suspicious karaoke places in those areas.
I actually avoided going to any Korean protests, because they can get a bit wild but only one peaceful protest happened during my stay that I was aware of, and it didn't affect me. North Korea is very close to Seoul, but Koreans worry far less about relations with them than we do. My safety was never influenced by politics or international relations.
I didn't have any additional safety concerns because of my gender that I wouldn't already have in America. Again, I generally felt safer in Korea, partly because foreigners are treated so well, but also because it was just SAFE. Koreans generally embrace much more traditional gender roles though, so just be prepared to surprise some people if you want to be a doctor or a lawyer.....but they did just elect a female president
:)
On a related side note, Koreans believe that there are simply no gay Koreans. I got asked regularly if I "actually knew gay people" but I didn't notice a difference in safety levels or attitudes than say, the American south. It's mostly just a curiosity thing for them.
Taiwan - Carly B.
Taiwan is generally safer than America as far as traveling alone and as a girl. Tip: To avoid getting into a collision, be very aware when walking on roads and crossing the street, motorbikes come from all directions. In Taiwan I feel a whole not safer while walking alone at night, whereas in many places in America it just isn't as safe. Taiwan has lower violent crime rates which leads to a more comfortable feeling. Also, in Alaska [Carly's home] walking around at night you need to be aware of moose and bear - I'm still waiting to catch a glimpse of the Formosan bear.
We all know about the tension caused by the one China policy, and that there is an ongoing chance of war. Like most Taiwanese, I think the happenstance that I'm in the country when this happens, or if it will ever happen is very minimal.
As a girl traveling in Taiwan when alone you may be prone to questions like, ' Do you have a boyfriend' by men who ride beside you in the public transportation, or even the bus drivers. To not lead on anyone or be in an unsafe situation I just make sure I stay around as many people as possible so I am never far from help.
Tajikistan - Katie A.
The three major concerns I can think of are:
- Health: We were told never to drink the water or eat off of the streets, but we could brush our teeth with it and there was a western-style medical clinic, plus they airlift you or something if it gets really bad.
- Limits on freedom: It sounds bad, but basically means don't say bad things about the president, have your passport, don't photograph government buildings, and you're fine. I read SO MUCH about it but it's not really enforced.
- Stay in a group: We got a few sketchy people trying to marry us and whatnot, but I think this is more a general exchange thing... if you aren't fluent in the language/culture, it would just be dumb to walk around alone.
- Driving (bonus!): It's crazy, but I wouldn't put it past other teenagers [in America] to drive like [they do in Tajikistan].
Parents don't have to worry about their kids drinking/driving/doing drugs here and I never experienced violence; it's a lot less prevalent than in Chicago, where I would have been a lot
Tajiks are notoriously complacent, it's post-soviet. The country borders Afghanistan, and so people see the extremism and do what they can to avoid it... large-scale political dissension is laughable in Dushanbe.
Women are a lot more equal than most people think. We had to dress modestly because otherwise you attract attention, and one time a man on the bus was harassing us, so we just had another guy stand by us.
Turkey - Delia R.
While in Turkey, I took care when choosing clothes every morning - I wasn't sure how my host family would react or how people on the street would react. Especially considering the heat, it was quite frustrating to pick out clothes that were modest but cool. That was the main [concern].
Not making eye contact was something I had been warned to do, so I didn't look at guys at all. It was mainly on public transportation that this was an issue at all - I did have one unpleasant experience, but overall I felt fairly safe.
Syria hadn't gotten super intense at that point, and in any case I was on the opposite side of Turkey. I was treated to several rants by my host mother, but other than that, I was completely unaffected by instability in surrounding places.
As a girl, I sometimes felt a little uncomfortable - there was a lot more catcalling and obvious flirtations than in America. But I never really felt unsafe - I moved freely through the city by myself and I didn't ever feel in danger.
