Students planning to study abroad in Egypt or other Middle Eastern countries may need to make alternative plans in light of recent political unrest.
Penn Abroad will now allow prospective students to apply for a "back-up" program, according to an e-mail from Penn Abroad director Barbara Gorka. Under normal circumstances, each student may only apply to one program.
Gorka's e-mail was sent out on Wednesday to students interested in studying in the Middle East. It addressed concerns about the political situation in Egypt and recommended that students discuss their plans with their parents or guardians.
Last Friday, the U.S. Department of State issued a travel warning for Egypt.
From a risk-management standpoint, the University will "almost automatically" deny students enrollment in programs whose hosting countries are under travel warnings, according to Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Department Chairman Roger Allen.
At the moment, Penn offers two study-abroad programs in Cairo, one through AMIDEAST — a nonprofit group that promotes study abroad in the Middle East — and another at the American University in Cairo.
There are currently no students enrolled in either program, according to Gorka.
Penn advises students not to study in sites under a travel warning and currently "does not operate any programs or employ staff in sites under a travel warning," according to the Penn Abroad website.
Allen added that students should not study abroad in Egypt because its current situation is too fluid and unstable.
He explained that most students looking to study abroad in Egypt or surrounding nations are looking for a Middle Eastern experience and an opportunity to improve their Arabic.
However, at the moment, Morocco remains the "only place where [he] would not have any qualms about sending students," while traditionally popular destinations such as Jordan and Egypt now raise "reasons for concern," Allen said.
Yet, some students still plan to go to Egypt and its surrounding nations.
College sophomore Alex Amaniel plans to study abroad in Cairo next fall and will be submitting an application for Egypt regardless of the travel warning. He will, however, follow with an application to study in Jordan.
Similarly, College sophomore Emily Goshey plans to pursue her studies abroad in Morocco unless there are "drastic changes."
She said that while she is "really glad" that Penn is taking an interest in the safety of students, she believes that ultimately, it is the students' decision whether to take the risk to study in a potentially dangerous country.
"Fundamentally, we are adults," she said. "We should be knowledgeable enough about the regions we're traveling to, and each individual student has to make his own decision."