Winter Study Abroad Moves to Taiwan

Many people’s common perceptions of Beijing include a city bustling with cultural economic growth and a city covered in smog with millions of its residents wearing surgical masks just to avoid breathing in the toxic air. The media’s coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing brought attention to the issue of smog and raised the rest of the world’s concerns about chemicals in the air.In light of the air pollution level in Beijing, the faculty voted to change the destination for the Winter Term Abroad program for China on Thursday, January 31st during Faculty Meetings. Due to concerns about air quality and the possible health consequences for students, the program was relocated to Taiwan, a reportedly less polluted area.The faculty discussion began when a parent of a current student proposed the change. Faculty delved into research on the air quality of China, and according to Director of Global Initiatives Eimer Page, they discovered that the air in Beijing had been consistently rated “very unhealthy” on the index.Many faculty members, like Page, believe the danger of the smog in China poses a real problem that needs to be addressed. “Extended periods spent there would potentially be dangerous, even for those without respiratory difficulties,” Page said.Modern languages instructor Ting Yuan, who teaches Chinese and French, agreed with Page. “Students' safety and health is always our first priority. This change is made due to the poor air quality during the winter months in Beijing.”Students shared mixed opinions about the location change. Some, like senior Lloyd Feng, who has been to mainland China, don’t see the air quality as a major issue that would necessitate the relocation of the Winter Term Abroad program.“I spent a good two months in Beijing and Wuhan. Honestly, I felt fine there,” Feng said. “The weather was a little different. There wasn’t a lot of sun; there was a light grey haze. But I didn’t feel like there were any problems.”Another potential issue regarding this change was the difference in cultures between mainland China and Taiwan.“The travel aspect is really important, and I think if the kids only stay in Taiwan, they’re missing a whole lot from the Chinese culture and the Chinese language,” Feng said. “The Chinese that [is spoken] in Taiwan is really different from the Chinese that [is spoken] in Beijing or anywhere else in China.”However, others believed that experiencing Taiwanese culture would be equally if not more beneficial as visiting mainland China.“I think more of the ‘pure’ culture is richer in Beijing, but in Taiwan, the environment is better,” prep Andrea Moe said. “The whole point of taking Chinese is embracing the culture, and personally I find Taiwan’s [culture] more interesting and more modern. It’s a different aspect of China that is equally valuable as experiencing Beijing.”Some students said that the school was choosing to be especially careful about the poor air quality and its potential health effects in the case that something does go wrong.A recent case, which ruled that The Hotchkiss School had to pay 41.7 million dollars to a student who contracted a rare mosquito disease during a trip to China, served as a warning to schools, which Feng believed may have been a factor in moving the program.“Maybe one concern that Exeter has with this program is what happened with Hotchkiss. I think the school is thinking a lot about liability these days,” Feng said.Students also note that during these past years, western media has been covering issues related to air quality, especially in Beijing, China. Images of the smog, seas of cars parked in traffic and limited visibility can all be found on news websites and other social media.“When 2013 rolled over, I noticed the media started covering the air quality problems in China a lot more. I’m not sure if that’s just the Western media saying ‘Let’s put the pressure on China’,” Feng said.“Maybe it has gotten really bad in the past few years, and they’re just starting to cover it, but I thought it was fine in 2012.”However, regardless of the destination, most students will look forward to an opportunity to leave the “Exeter bubble” and experience learning abroad at an entirely different and new setting.“I would love to go to China during winter term,” prep Mary Woo said.“The weather here in New England is really rough in the winter, and it would be really nice to explore China since I’m taking Chinese as my language. It would be a new experience to be able to communicate with the local people.”Prep Kelvin Green added, “The location change to Taiwan doesn’t really affect my decision. I believe that [the chance] to go to China is an honor in itself.”