Delay of University Semesters in China Due to COVID-19 Spread

Sequential University Openings Amid Nationwide Spread Concerns

[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Cho Young-shin] Chinese education authorities have postponed the start of the university semester. This decision was made to extend the summer vacation after more than 600 cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant infections were confirmed for five consecutive days.

Photo by Global Times capture

It appears that concerns about the university semester potentially leading to a nationwide spread played a role in this decision.

According to Chinese media such as Pengpai on the 22nd, major universities located in Beijing, Shanxi Province, Fujian Province, Hainan Province, and Liaoning Province have postponed the start of their semesters.

In Hainan Province, where a lockdown order was issued, four universities postponed their semester start dates, and Shanxi Province, which has experienced lockdowns, also delayed university openings, Chinese media reported.

Some local governments in Fujian Province, Guangdong Province, Liaoning Province, and Jilin Province, where the number of confirmed cases is not high, also postponed university semester start dates.

In the capital Beijing, separate guidelines were issued to allow universities to start their semesters sequentially. Accordingly, Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Beijing Normal University adjusted their new semester schedules. Some universities in Beijing postponed the semester start date to mid-September.

Additionally, some universities staggered the attendance schedules of returning and new students by more than 10 days. This measure was taken to prevent students from gathering on campus all at once.

Chinese media explained that since numerous university students travel nationwide around the semester start date, campuses could be exposed to risks, which is why universities are postponing their semester schedules.

With the postponement of major universities' semester start dates, the opening schedules of affiliated elementary, middle schools, and kindergartens are also expected to be affected.

Liu Xiaofeng, Deputy Director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "Infected individuals have been identified among train passengers arriving from various regions," adding, "University and elementary to high school students, teachers, and staff must wait at least seven days after arriving in Beijing before entering campuses."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.