University officials reported no knowledge of exchange students currently traveling or living in Japan after the 9.0 earthquake and Pacific tsunami that hit the country on March 11.
“Japan’s academic year doesn’t begin until April so no Victoria students have started their exchange,” Kirsty Drysdale, Victoria International Services Manager, said.
For the 46 Japanese students currently at Victoria, two of which are in the exchange program, Drysdale recommends the Health, Counselling and Learning Support services available to all international students.
“We also have specific plans in place to support students if they have a crisis in their own country,” Drysdale said.
Though New Zealand efforts are still largely concentrated on rebuilding Christchurch after the February 22 quake, Victoria students made donations at the Japan table at the Student Exchange Fair on Thursday. Donations can also be made through the Red Cross website, Unicef or Google’s Crisis Response page.
Those looking for news of friends and family in Japan can use Google’s Person Finder, a user-generated database that allows users to search individuals by name or post a new record for missing persons. Google also provides a Japan Crisis Response page, a project with real-time updates of useful information like Japanese emergency phone numbers, shelter locations and the latest news and warnings in Japan.