AMID the increasingly severe global pandemic, studying abroad has become a challenge full of risks. But some Chinese students have insisted on going overseas to study regardless of the obstacles, believing that the pandemic will eventually pass, Shenzhen Evening News reported yesterday.

Wu Qian, who graduated from Shenzhen University in 2019, received an offer from the University of Bath last December.

Although the number of COVID-19 cases has been high in the U.K., after weighing the pros and cons, Wu decided to go anyway.

“I’ve already taken a gap year after graduation, so I will continue my studies this year in any case,” Wu told the News.

With three sets of protective clothing, 400 masks and some necessary anti-virus items packed in her suitcase, Wu took a flight from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport to Britain on Sept. 16.

Like most Chinese students, Wu would downplay the impact of the pandemic on their lives to ease her family’s worries via phone calls. But in this difficult period, the care from compatriots made Wu feel warm in a foreign land.

“In the face of the pandemic, Chinese students studying overseas have been closely united. Though almost all of the offline social activities have been canceled, we gave each other a boost to get through the difficulties together,” Wu said.

For Li Hao, who went to Paris Institute of Political Studies for postgraduate studies last year, the first confirmed COVID-19 case reported in Paris is still fresh in his mind.

“When the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in France, most pharmacies sold out of masks,” said Li.

The school announced the suspension of face-to-face classes in March this year, and Li bought a flight ticket for 50,000 yuan (US$7,450) to return to China.

After attending online classes for several months, Li made another bold decision, specifically, to go to Singapore to continue his studies, as the graduate program he was enrolled in was jointly launched by the National University of Singapore and Paris Institute of Political Studies.

“The effect of online teaching is far from that of offline teaching. Moreover, my major needs close contact with and observation of the local society, which was also my original intention of studying abroad,” said Li.

Wen Na, who was admitted to ESSEC Business School last December, also reached a consensus with her family and set off to France this year. Although the pandemic situation in France remains very serious, Wen said she has no regrets about her decision to go.

“I feel that my learning efficiency has improved and the local language environment is very helpful to improve my foreign language level. I also believe that the pandemic will be over and everything will return to normal,” Wen said. (Zhang Yu)