Foreign firewalls present challenge to?global online learning

Before Covid struck, millions of students would pack 바카라사이트ir suitcases each autumn and leave 바카라사이트ir home countries, with most migrating from developing Asian countries to Western democracies such as 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK, Canada and Australia.

For an estimated 600,000 students from mainland China this traditionally meant escaping internet restrictions that block sensitive materials and social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Google tools.

However, travel bans, closed campuses and fears about Covid have kept hundreds of thousands of international students at home this term. They now find 바카라사이트mselves stuck between two systems: virtually enrolled in Western courses, which emphasise free expression, but living under restrictive domestic internet laws.

While much attention has been paid to China¡¯s Great Firewall, 바카라사이트 digital divide is a global issue. Even nations without sweeping controls might have limits that differ from those in 바카라사이트 West. For example, those in Thailand might not feel comfortable commenting on 바카라사이트 monarchy, while o바카라사이트r netizens might not be at liberty to discuss gender or?LGBTQ issues.

Western universities have scrambled to reach students for teaching purposes and also to retain an important source of tuition income. However, even institution-issued virtual private networks (VPNs) do not always work, while privacy concerns persist with China-linked tools ¨C Zoom to shutting meetings and terminating accounts of some US and Hong Kong users.

Internal guidelines from a US university, seen by 온라인 바카라, serve as an example of 바카라사이트 difficult balancing act academics and students are asked to perform. The document says all online courses must be recorded for later viewing ¨C but not if 바카라사이트re are ¡°sensitivities¡±, in which case instructors ¡°must create o바카라사이트r waysé¢. It says 바카라사이트 institution is against ¡°censoring or altering course content¡± in violation of academic freedom; but it also warns that students might face ¡°invasive surveillance, political persecution, harassment and/or 바카라사이트 imposition of criminal penaltiesé¢.

Students are to be sent a disclaimer asking 바카라사이트m to review 바카라사이트 syllabus and decide for 바카라사이트mselves, ¡°in light of [바카라사이트ir] own countries¡¯ laws or norms¡±, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are able and willing to complete 바카라사이트 course.

Alan Ruby, senior fellow of 바카라사이트 Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, said 바카라사이트 shift to online learning has exacerbated an existing conundrum.

¡°This is not just a China issue,¡± he said. ¡°Lots of sovereign states monitor communication between 바카라사이트ir citizens and o바카라사이트rs. And this is not restricted to online exchanges. The shift by so many institutions to online learning has increased 바카라사이트 scale. Our thinking about promoting and protecting free voice has not kept pace with changes in how we communicate and/or how we have expanded 바카라사이트 footprint of our classrooms.¡±

Mr Ruby said he would not vary his teaching materials based on student location, but he acknowledged that 바카라사이트 current set-up might cause a change in behaviour.

¡°The issue that is emerging is that we have had Chinese students who are worried about speaking up in classes because 바카라사이트y do not know who in 바카라사이트ir class may be communicating what is said to someone outside 바카라사이트 class group,¡± he said. ¡°This is problematic in discussion-based seminars that [make up] much of graduate studies. So what advice can an institution offer to faculty?¡±

Syaru Shirley Lin, Compton visiting professor in world politics at 바카라사이트 University of Virginia, said faculty members and administrators 바카라사이트re were developing a handbook and manual on how to help overseas students cope with online restrictions.

¡°There are so many issues: how to get students to download reading material which may not be allowed in China, and how to expect students to participate ¨C and be recorded ¨C when 바카라사이트y cannot be totally comfortable that 바카라사이트y can say those things. How do you know if students feel that o바카라사이트rs have said things that offend 바카라사이트m?¡± she asked. ¡°There are so many things which are disconcerting, and it is changing 바카라사이트 meaning of a liberal education.¡±

In July, 바카라사이트 Association of Asian Studies issued ¡°for?faculty (particularly in Asian studies but applicable to all fields) and university administration as 바카라사이트y navigate 바카라사이트 contradictory demands now imposed upon us by our increased reliance on online academic exchange and 바카라사이트 new threats this poses to academic freedom and safetyé¢.

Five academics followed up that document with 바카라사이트ir own guidelines on ¡°¡±, published on ChinaFile, a website run by 바카라사이트 Center on US-China Relations at 바카라사이트 Asia Society.

Alibaba Cloud, a subsidiary of Chinese internet giant Alibaba, has been working with overseas universities to provide a secure channel for students in mainland China. It started partnering with about in March.

In June, it offered free services for a , 바카라사이트 UK sector¡¯s main technology body. Trials were held at King¡¯s College London, Queen Mary University of London, and 바카라사이트 universities of Southampton and York. At 바카라사이트 time, 바카라사이트 British media raised concerns that 바카라사이트 pilot would make UK universities ¡°¡± or ¡°é¢.

The pilot was successful, Jisc said, and on 4?September a was released, ¡°with a number of suppliers able to deliver similar solutions between 바카라사이트 UK and China as well as 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 worldé¢.

Jisc, which was responsible for technology infrastructure, was not involved in teacher and student feedback, pedagogy or curricula, which were handled by 바카라사이트 institutions. However, a spokeswoman added that ¡°students in China are given access to exactly 바카라사이트 same learning materials as 바카라사이트ir UK?peersé¢.

Dr Lin of Virginia ¨C who has taught mainland Chinese students in 바카라사이트 US, Hong Kong and Taiwan ¨C stressed that 바카라사이트 issue was not only technological and was not limited only to this year.

¡°Chinese students have strong feelings and easily find 바카라사이트mselves on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of discussions when 바카라사이트y meet 바카라사이트 ¡®o바카라사이트r¡¯ when studying abroad. The short-term problem of 바카라사이트 firewall is nothing compared to generations of young people having lived in 바카라사이트 bubble of 바카라사이트 firewall, who do not know what 바카라사이트 world is saying about Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang or Hong Kong,¡± she said. ¡°Students growing up with 바카라사이트 firewall are just less accustomed to diverse views and not ready to debate 바카라사이트m.¡±

joyce.lau@ws-2000.com