In the event of severe illness or injury to a Purdue student(s), or if a Purdue student is the victim of a crime, on-site staff should be contacted immediately.  After the immediate needs of the student have been met, telephone the Study Abroad Office at +765 494 2383 during weekday business hours (eastern time zone) to report the problem or incident.  If it is felt that a Purdue official should be contacted outside of weekday business hours, telephone the Purdue Police Department at +765 494 8221, who will get a message to the appropriate Purdue official right away.  Click here for further information related to safety and security.

Earthquake in China, 12 May 2008 

The 12 May 2008 earthquake in China did not cause any injuries to Purdue students. Their safety and security are our highest concerns, and we are fully confident in the leadership of the Purdue professors who have accompanied them to China to keep them safe.

The earthquake was centered in Sichuan province, 57 miles north-west of the city of Chengdu (population 11 million) in southern China, near the border with Myanmar/Burma.  This is quite far from China's large eastern cities, where all of Purdue's study abroad programs are taking place. More specifically, Beijing, Nanjing, Harbin and Shanghai are about 1,000 miles away from where the earthquake was strongest. While there were reports that the tremors were felt in eastern China, there are no reports of damage in those cities.

There are ten Purdue Study Abroad programs in China during summer 2008.  The following five programs were either in China or on their way there when the earthquake struck.

• China Globalization - Energy and the Environment (plane arrived in Beijing after earthquake)
• Introduction to Intercultural Teamwork (safe in Beijing)
• Doing Business in China (safe in Beijing)
• Global Entrepreneurship & Innovation (safe in Beijing)
• Culture & Tourism of Greater China (safe in Beijing)

The earthquake hit on 12 May 2008 at 2:28 p.m. China time.  We are mindful of the suffering of the Chinese people yet grateful that there is no indication that this tragedy will jeopardize Purdue students’ safety or program endeavors.