Despite destruction unleashed on the coasts of Southeast Asia, MSU students traveled to Bangkok, Thailand on Friday and more will leave for New Delhi, India on Tuesday.
The planned student overseas studies will not be directly affected by the Dec. 26 tsunami because no programs were based in areas damaged by the disaster, said Office of Study Abroad director Kathleen Fairfax.
"We don't have programs in the places that were hit hard," Fairfax said. "We've been in touch with our contacts there, and they said everything is proceeding as normal.
"It's kind of like how a hurricane in Texas would affect MSU. It's that far away."
Although the programs should continue as scheduled, Fairfax said she thinks the students' experiences will be different.
"Students will have an opportunity to see how both countries deal with the disaster, but they will not be in an area affected by the tragedy," Fairfax said. "I don't think their experience will be impacted safety-wise."
The Office of Study Abroad has dealt with an earthquake in Japan previously, but has never had any students injured. The office's policies emphasize preparation in case of unexpected events, said John Jensen, educational programs Thailand coordinator for the MSU office.
"We have policies in place on how to react to certain disasters, but preparation is your best bet," Jensen said. "It's difficult to prepare for something as unforeseen as this."
The damage along the coastline extends beyond the beaches to change all of the countries impacted.
Peter Briggs, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars, said future students in study abroad programs will notice the changes firsthand.
"Even if they go to a part of Thailand not affected by the tsunami, I think all of Thailand is affected," Briggs said. "The trauma that happened is a devastation to the economy. Bangkok wasn't hit, but psychologically, they were."
The biggest difference for the students traveling this semester will be their ability to travel, said Kristina Senft, a supply chain management senior who spent last semester in Thailand.
"I got to see all the islands that were affected," she said. "The islands were a really big place students traveled. They are amazing."
Senft said she does not think students will be directly impacted otherwise.
"Bangkok seems to operate on its own accord," Senft said. "It's so different from the rest of Thailand."
Study abroad students attend classes at the Bangkok-based Chulalongkorn University.
Despite their distance from the devastation, Senft said students' outlooks will be changed by the wave's aftermath.
"I think it will give the students who go a very different perspective," Senft said. "The students who went before them will probably never understand it."
