US: Evacuated students did not want to leave Egypt

Study abroad staff evacuating students from Egypt last week all noticed a trend: many students did not want to leave, writes Sam Petulla for Inside Higher Ed. Were it up to them, they would still be watching the events from dorm rooftops, talking to local activists about chasing down police and scrambling to collect souvenirs.

Of course, security experts, parents, and university staff observing a volatile, precarious political situation had another view of things, and insisted the students come home. By the time pro-Mubarak forces clashed with protesters Wednesday, many of those who had wanted to stay were already out of the country.

Still, study abroad officials were encouraged by the continued interest. Requests for study in Egypt have been coming in. After a panel talk about the Egyptian street protests Denis Sullivan, director of Northeastern University's international affairs programme and Middle East Center for Peace, Culture, and Development, was swarmed by students eager to get on the university's 10 May trip to Egypt. Allan E Goodman, president and CEO of the Institute of International Education, said he expects this trend to continue.
Full report on the Inside Higher Ed site