Students stranded in Qatar amid the conflict in Iran highlights the risks that come with international study, and the importance of supporting Iranian students grappling with the realities of war.
Following the Feb. 28 airspace closure, 16 students and one faculty member have been unable to leave Doha, Qatar. The group was returning from a field course in Sri Lanka, via Qatar, when the ongoing conflict in Iran led to the airspace shutdown, grounding their returning flight.
While it’s concerning to see fellow students left abroad, particularly during a rapidly escalating conflict, the proper steps have been taken to ensure their safe and timely return to campus. The students returned to Canada on March 9. Meanwhile, instances like this one shouldn’t deter Queen’s from pursuing research interests abroad, particularly outside of the west.
Queen’s primary concern, as an institution sending students abroad, should always be safety. While the airspace shutdown was difficult to predict, there’s a critical need to stay up to date with political conflict to ensure the safety of students. There’s currently exchange options for Queen’s students available in Israel at Ben-Guiron University of the Negev, situated approximately 40 kilometers from the active conflict in Gaza. Both Isreal and Palestine are considered high risk, and the Government of Canada has advised against travel to the region.
However, the Middle East particularly has a rich history that should continue to be studied and interacted with by students from everywhere. Universities sending students abroad should avoid active conflict, while ensuring students are still participating in a diversity of experiences and broadening their world view.
The trip itself was primarily for field work in Sri Lanka and was unlikely to be affected by conflict. Fortunately for the students and faculty in Doha, they’re supported and backed by the University which has access to funds, resources, and public accountability making their timely return even more likely. The approximately 85,000 Canadians currently in the Middle East might not have the same support.
Many Canadians abroad have faced barriers to return, some even electing to leave the active conflict zone on foot, or expressed frustrations of being unable to attain a visa to return home. One Canadian woman is facing the unimaginable choice of choosing to flee with her kids, or stay in Iran, because her husband doesn’t have Canadian citizenship. Students following the group in Qatar should consider how this situation extends far beyond campus, more seriously affecting those without the institutional backing of a university.
While Queen’s has prioritized its students safe return home, there’s more the University could be doing to support students affected by the conflict in Iran.
Many Iranian students on campus have been unable to contact family abroad, and have reported increased mental health and financial struggles with being unable to receive support from family. While the University has offered extensions for tuition payment, Iranian students haven’t been afforded the same leniency regarding mental health support. Queen’s also needs to consider how Iranian students in Kingston have been affected by the conflict.
Canadians like to think they’re far removed from international affairs, but the reality is that conflicts such as the one in Iran affect everyone everywhere. This is more than ensuring students return home safely, it’s about understanding how international affairs can shape research initiatives abroad and supporting students in Kingston who’re affected by the conflict.
—Journal Editorial Board
Tags
International Research, Iran, Qatar, Students Abroad
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