The health and safety of our students is of paramount concern to NYU, and we have been in close contact with these students throughout the fall semester as events have unfolded in Hong Kong
Georgetown University students who planned to spend the rest of the fall semester in Hong Kong will be headed home early amid violent clashes between pro-democracy protesters and police.
Fifteen Georgetown students are working with the university to return to the United States after host universities opted to cut their fall terms short, a Georgetown spokeswoman said.
"Georgetown safety and security officials have been actively monitoring the situation in Hong Kong and have reached out to 15 Georgetown students who are studying abroad in the region," the spokeswoman said in a statement. "Georgetown will continue to monitor the situation and be in regular touch with students to ensure their safety."
The Georgetown students were studying at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the City University of Hong Kong (CityU).
CUHK was raided by police on Tuesday, setting off violent clashes. The university was barricaded by demonstrators as the city’s five-month-long anti-government unrest turned increasingly violent.
"People walked out with their suitcases, Many cried," a student told the Norwegian broadcaster NRK as students from Norway left Hong Kong Baptist University.
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Georgetown is helping students get flights home and find short-term housing.
New York University said via a spokesperson that it is also discussing ways to transport students out of Hong Kong after their classes were suspended. Five undergraduate students in NYU's Stern School of Business are currently in Hong Kong.
CityU partners with Syracuse University, and students from other universities participate in the program as well. It wasn't immediately clear how many American students were affected. A Syracuse representative did not immediately respond to an inquiry.
The University of California system suspended its spring study abroad program in Hong Kong because of the ongoing protests, the student-run paper the Daily Nexus reported. The university did not immediately respond to an inquiry.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
