US and UK universities try to calm Asian students' COVID-19 fears

Even as Trump drops deportation plan, institutions hit by poor virus response

A woman wears a protective face mask as students prepared for an extended period of online classes due to coronavirus at Syracuse University, New York, in March. © Reuters

JOHN DUERDEN, Contributing writer

July 15, 2020 20:35 JST

SEOUL -- The decision by the U.S. government on Tuesday to drop a plan to deport international students whose courses move fully online because of the coronavirus pandemic will be a relief to American universities that rely on Asian students as a lucrative source of income.

But with countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. registering tens of thousands of COVID-19 deaths, schools have their work cut out to show they can still offer high quality education in a safe and welcoming environment.