As the violent political crisis in Egypt between ousted President Mohamed Morsi’s supporters and the Egyptian military worsens, the UNC Study Abroad Office has suspended its programs in Egypt for the fall and spring semesters.
Bob Miles, associate dean for UNC Study Abroad, said UNC policy prohibits students from studying abroad through the University when there are federal travel warnings or travel alerts issued for an area.
A federal travel warning was issued for Egypt on Aug. 15, so students are currently not able to apply for the 2014 spring semester, he said.
Students can still study abroad in other African countries where no warnings are in effect, Miles said. UNC offers more than 30 study-abroad programs in Africa.
One UNC student caught in the midst of the recent unrest was junior Caroline Zullo, evacuated from Cairo earlier this summer while studying Arabic at the American University in Cairo.
She said both her dorm and her classes were located downtown in close proximity to the military’s protests.
“From the moment that I got there, there were many signs that tensions were absolutely rising,” Zullo said.
Miles said UNC has historically been cautious in determining whether students should participate in study abroad programs in countries where a safety risk is involved — he said UNC had to evacuate two students from Cairo in 2011 due to social unrest.
Zullo said she was aware of the military’s planned July 3 uprising long before it happened.