Photo provided to China Daily by Ivan Ewart / Marketing and Communications, Queen's University Belfast (File photo: China Daily)
The first charter flight for Chinese students landed in Northern Ireland on Saturday, bringing 369 university students from China back to their campus for studies in the United Kingdom.
The direct flight, from Beijing to Belfast, brought back more than one in four Chinese students registered at the Queen's University in Belfast, or QUB.
Zhang Meifang, China's consul general in Belfast and Ian Greer, president and vice-chancellor of Queen's University Belfast, were at Belfast International Airport to welcome the arriving students.
"Affected by the global pandemic, studying abroad in this year is different from previous years," Zhang said in a welcome speech, adding that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the QUB's charter flight plan.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, The Civil Aviation Administration of China and other departments have worked closely with our consulate, to actively practice 'diplomacy for the people', to ensure everyone's safety and make their study overseas journey smooth," said Zhang.
According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the number of students from China studying in UK higher education surpassed 120,000 last year for the first time, accounting for more than one in every three non-EU students. And the total number of Chinese students studying in the UK is now more than 220,000, Chinese government figures show.
These students contribute 4 billion pounds ($5.17 billion) to the UK's economy per year in tuition fees and other spending such as accommodation, a BBC report said.
The report also said since the pandemic began, UK universities have been worried about major financial losses if Chinese students withdraw from their courses in the new academic year in the autumn, amid concern over high COVID-19 infection rates and a high death toll in the UK.
Photo provided to China Daily by Ivan Ewart / Marketing and Communications, Queen's University Belfast (File photo: China Daily)
According to a forecast by the University of Manchester, cancellations can range from 12 percent to 61 percent, and "anxiety" over whether it is safe to travel to the UK outweighs other concerns.
"To alleviate anxiety and stress about traveling for the new academic year, Queen's was one of the first universities in the UK to put together a direct charter flight to bring our students directly to Belfast," Ian Greer, president and vice chancellor of Queen's University Belfast said in his welcome message.
A one-way ticket for the QUB charter flight was 616 pounds ($796).
Students were required to take COVID-19 tests 48 hours before departure and needed to provide negative results to board the plane. After landing, they were transported directly to their campus from the airport and provided with quarantine accommodation.
Greer said the university has put in place a comprehensive range of measures, in line with public health guidelines, to ensure the campus is a safe place to live, work, and study.
"Your teaching will be delivered by a connected learning approach. You will be taught face-to-face with the relevant social distancing and hygiene measures applied at all times, complemented by online classes when necessary," he told the students.
Alderman McCoubrey, Lord Mayor of Belfast, also sent a greeting message to the onboard students that said: "We understand what a huge decision this must have been, to leave your homes and country in the current climate."
Discussions are believed to be ongoing for more British universities chartering flights from China, India and Africa to encourage international students to return in this academic year, several media reported.