Student Parachute has landed, covering the needs of international students in a pandemic

Student Parachute has landed, covering the needs of international students in a pandemic

12/05/2020

To support the education sector in their efforts to see borders reopen to international students, a new geolocation tracking, student protection and assistance membership has landed, covering the needs of international students, even during a pandemic.

Crisis Cover CEO Carole Tokody announced the launch of sister brand ‘Student Parachute’ saying students were expected to be among the first international travellers post-COVID-19.

“Many international students are looking for additional support to stay safe overseas in their host countries or when they return there in the future,” she said.

“International students and their families are nervous. They saw how different countries and organisations managed the welfare of international students during COVID-19, and they are extremely cautious about getting stuck if something unexpected happens.

“When COVID-19 started to impact overseas travel, hundreds of thousands of international students across Asia, Europe, North America and Australia couldn’t get home, and many found themselves with limited support.

“Some students also reported being unfairly treated in the wider community because locals in their host country saw their physical presence as a threat to health and safety.

“Schools, colleges, universities and international student support services are doing what they can to adjust learning services and look after student health and safety on campus, but they are not necessarily equipped with the knowledge and expertise to help students get home safely in complex, emergency circumstances.

“This is where Student Parachute steps in and fills the gaps in traditional travel insurance and international student health products."

Student Parachute membership offers assistance in the many different scenarios that international students may face – including natural disasters, civil unrest, active shooters and pandemics.

Students have 24/7 access at the touch of an alert button to advice, support and on-the-ground security assistance from highly trained emergency response teams around the world.

Student Parachute’s global tracking application also provides the opportunity to recall geographical movement in the event pandemic contact tracing is required.

“We actively monitor open-source data and any changing threat dynamics, including information about pandemic cluster outbreaks, and relay this destination-based information to students via alerts and updates,” Ms Tokody said.

“If necessary, we may evacuate students from an area affected by an incident or threat, such as a pandemic, or assist them to obtain care from an appropriate medical facility.

“Even if we can’t evacuate one of our student members, we still offer support through our Crisis Response Centre in the event the student is placed in quarantine or required to shelter in place.

“We can coordinate with the local authorities to bring students to safety, and we can deploy on-the-ground emergency response consultants to assist them.

“Importantly, we can also help educational institutions, students and their families to understand, monitor and coordinate emergency needs.

“With Student Parachute membership, no international student or their family will feel alone when the unexpected happens.”