Studying overseas entails courage and a series of adjustments to fit and live in a new country. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, international students need to know the entry requirements for the chosen study destination. This can be very challenging as travel regulations and health protocols change by the hour.
To know more about the recent developments with regard to COVID-19 and travel, 63 percent of respondents rely on university websites. This shows that being able to provide up-to-date COVID information for students is important, especially for those coming in from another country.
With a Travel Risk Assessment, institutions can also include it in their Letter of Offer, as well as their website, as this could help guide international students in choosing the best school to pursue their studies.
According to the research conducted by MIST, an International Student Banking and Lifestyle, including travel risk assessments company, 90 percent of students would consider a risk report coming from their institution of choice to be beneficial to their decision-making, and 94 percent would want the information before they depart for their study destination. Thus, this helps institutions in the recruitment process as international students constantly look for information about COVID-19 and travel.
The Travel Risk Assessment tool is a detailed report based on over 35 global data sources, which has all the views of the biosecurity risk elements of a trip to a particular country and pulls the information, in near real time, into a single detailed report. To benefit from the tool, students need to provide information about where they are going.
They are then offered recommendations for the safest travel options. The tool also has a Bio Risk Map that has the risk status of countries in near real-time, which means it has the latest COVID-19 information and is updated several times a day.
It also follows the framework for pre-travel risk assessment as outlined in ISO 31030 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). According to John Crutchley, MIST CEO, the travel industry is currently signing up to use this tool on a bigger scale under the GOPASS banner (the travel risk management platform). Microsoft is the latest global company to endorse the risk platform technology.
MIST is now bringing this exclusively to the international education sector to help provide support from the institutions to its students.
While students may choose to get information from the web, they may still get unofficial and incomplete information, even after hours of research. Getting a comprehensive report from their chosen education institution can give students peace of mind when planning their overseas studies.
Changing COVID-19 and travel protocols are confusing and a deal-breaker for students. MIST’s Travel Risk Assessment for COVID-19 is an excellent opportunity for institutions to attract more students.
MIST’s value-added service takes the confusion away and ensures each student understands all the information they need before, during, and after travel to their new country. Institutions and agents will be able to provide support to students with this added layer of assurance for safety through MSM Unify.
Visit www.mistmoney.com/travel where you can access travel reports, or request a demonstration of the technology, and you will find a range of services specifically designed for people moving overseas to work, study or live!
MSM Unify is your one-stop source platform that connects students, agents, and higher education institutions in the world. An extra layer of support and assurance is given to international students as they embark on their journey overseas. Join now to get the latest updates and information on international education.