The pandemic has created havoc in every sector across the world, and education is not an exception. With students struck in the misery of their studies shifting to the digital mode with experience not being as productive as it would have been in physical classes, the uncertainty of reopening universities only works as an add on to the stress.
Such a story recently came to the forefront yet again in the context of Italian universities when Italy had allowed the Italian citizens with Registry of Resident Italians Abroad or the Italian residents to travel back to the country from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka on 26th June this year.
It indeed came as a ray of hope for many students enrolled in Italian universities to go back to their regular schedules. But it has become a cause of stress for many others. Indian students who are enrolled in the Italian universities are struck by this idea of them not going back to Italy because travelling being banned to any European countries.
Students came back during the first and the second wave of the pandemic to be with their loved ones in such a time of suffering when everything was locked down. And now that their university schedules somewhat go back to normal, they cannot do anything to return to it because of the travel ban because of the pandemic. It might even become the cause of immense fear of missing out on things as their peers have gone back to universities in case they didn’t came back home or belong to any other country where the travel ban is currently not imposed.
It will also impact the education prospects of students stranded in terms of various learning and activities being missed that would have been productive for them. The students are in an utter state of chaos and uncertainty, with there being no official update regarding when the travel ban will be lifted.
Considering the urgency and the significance of the matter understood from the view of students, the Indian Ambassador to Italy took the initiative to look for a solution in a meeting held on 9th July. In the meeting, Dr. Neena Malhotra interacted with the community representatives to seek information on the efforts that are being taken to have relaxation on travel ban in a way that could help these students.
However, the decision and measures taken are likely to depend on the COVID cases considering that the third wave in India seems right on the onset very soon, with daily COVID cases rising rapidly each day.
