Global: Meet a University Student In Yunnan, China

Could you tell us about yourself and COVID's impact on you?

My name is Huan Huan and I am a 3rd year student at the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics studying accounting. I am on my way back to school right now after the restrictions have been lifted. I originally came home because it was my school’s winter break, but after the break ended, we could not go back to school because of SARS-CoV-2. I have been taking online classes with the same schedule as if I was back at school. The Chinese universities have prepared quite well for online schooling, as quality of classes have not decreased by too much. However, online schooling has negatively impacted the international students more than the domestic Chinese students because class times are inconvenient for them. Some people even have class in the 12am-5am time range in their country. Because of this, many international students do not show up for class which I think will probably be detrimental to their schooling. For me, online schooling has been relatively normal. The biggest difference would just be that facilitating and contributing to discussions are harder. However, online schooling has also been nice because I am able to spend more time with my family.

"Some people even have class in the 12am-5am time range in their country."

As my province, Yunnan, has not been as impacted as Wuhan’s province of Hubei, we are still allowed to go out and buy food. However, people in more affected places still must buy all their food through online shopping.

I don’t think it is right for country leaders, like the US, to blame China for the virus. Even though our government did not start off controlling the virus very well, the government still controlled it effectively later on. Naming it the “Chinese virus” will not solve the pandemic; it will just increase the hate and violence towards the Chinese both in China and in other countries. I also think that SARS-CoV-2 is largely fueling the US’s already-held negative outlook on China and the Chinese government. Through confirmation bias, they are using this pandemic to prove that China is a savage, uncivilized country. Since SARS-CoV-2 is a global issue, countries need to work together as a united front to win this fight.

"Naming it the “Chinese virus” will not solve the pandemic; it will just increase the hate and violence towards the Chinese both in China and in other countries."

In the midst of this pandemic, I think it is important for people to take care of themselves, practice social distancing, and stay healthy. I hope this pandemic will teach people to work together and think rationally. Often during stressful times, people will read through every bit of news and believe everything that is said. It is a good time to learn to read with caution and gain new perspectives through reading international new sources.