By Alistair Baker-Brian The Chinese mainland has been battling a new outbreak of COVID-19 in recent weeks, with a surge in cases of the Omicron variant. It represents the country’s worst outbreak since the Sars-Cov-2 virus first spread across China in early 2020. Make no mistake, China is still implementing its “dynamic zero-COVID” policy which seeks to eliminate the virus rather than “live with it.” That’s why schools in Shanghai have gone online, why tens of thousands of people were locked into an exhibition center in Guangzhou, and why Shenzhen – a city of more than 17 million people – has imposed a citywide lockdown with public transport temporarily closed. While any outbreak of COVID-19 is bad news, there are signs during the latest outbreak that could represent a turning point regarding how China deals with the virus. What's Changing? A few developments which have emerged from the latest outbreak of the Omicron variant suggest that China is still not ready to “live with” the virus, but that it may be preparing to head in that direction. Below are a few things we noticed. 1. Hospital Admissions On March 15, it was announced that confirmed cases with mild symptoms will no longer be admitted to hospital. Instead, such cases will be taken to a centralized quarantine facility for monitoring – not quite “living with” the virus, but a small step in that direction. It signals that some symptomatic COVID-19 cases can be dealt with away from the hospital wards. Wang Guiqiang, director of Infectious Diseases at Peking University First Hospital, and member of the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism, explained the policy shift in answer to questions from a Shenzhen television network. Wang pointed out that many of the Chinese mainland’s current cases are infected with the Omicron strain of COVID-19 and that many of those cases are asymptomatic or mild. He said that such cases do not require any special medical treatment that warrants being admitted to hospital. He stressed that to send such cases to hospital would unnecessarily take up resources such as beds, medicine etc. However, he also stressed that such cases still needed to be monitored in a quarantine facility in case their situation worsened. 2. Isolation Requirements Following Discharge from Hospital In the same announcement, it was also stated that after COVID-19 patients are released from hospital, they would only be required to do seven days of “health monitoring” at home as opposed to 14 days of monitoring in quarantine as per the previous policy. Again – not quite “living with” COVID-19, but a sign that on this particular issue, dealing with the virus can be done so in individual’s homes to a certain extent. 3. Treatment for COVID-19 A number of treatments for COVID-19 symptoms have already been approved by China, including Paxlovid, an oral pill manufactured by Pfizer. Assuming that such treatments are available at your nearest drug store, treating COVID-19 symptoms may in future be something you can do at home without having to go to hospital. 4. Testing Kits Even testing does not necessarily require traveling to a designated hospital or testing site; China’s first at-home testing kit has already been approved. Sixth Tone reports that the kits will be a supplement to nucleic acid tests. Those who test positive using the kit are required to report to their community, although how this will be enforced remains unclear. Once again – not quite “living with” the virus but a sign that in the future, a lot of testing may be done at home, rather than at a designated testing site. Jilin Province in the northeast of the country has been the worst hit area in the latest outbreak. New locally transmitted cases peaked on March 14, when the province reported 3,077 cases of COVID-19 in one day; that’s a big deal for a country with a “zero-COVID” policy. The worst hit areas include provincial capital Changchun, Jilin city and Yanbian on the border with North Korea. However, the outbreak also represents why this could be a turning point for China. During a press conference on March 15 addressing the Jilin outbreak, representatives from the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council noted that over 95% of cases in the latest outbreak were either asymptomatic or those with mild symptoms. In fact, China Daily reports that as of March 14, only six of said cases were in critical or severe condition in hospital. Is this a signal that China might be able to deal with an endemic Sars-Cov-2 virus in the future? It’s too early to tell, but the signs are there that future outbreaks may neither overburden hospitals nor come with an excess death toll. Where Are We Now? The picture in China appears to be consistent with Omicron in other parts of the world – a highly transmissible virus strain – even more so than Delta – but a strain which tends to cause less severe illness, particularly among those who have been vaccinated. This was acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in early January. As mentioned earlier, “dynamic zero-COVID” remains China’s overarching policy. But some recent policy changes, as well as development of new medicines and testing kits etc., show that China is finding new ways to deal with the virus which can minimize hospitalization and centralized quarantine, and even make dealing with COVID-19 more an issue of individual responsibility. You could perhaps say that China is laying the groundwork for “living with” COVID-19.Original link

Chinese Language Program, Spring Semester, 2022 Information Sheet Semester Start and End Dates Feb., 2022 – Jul.,2022（To be confirmed） Application Due Date Before Dec.10, 2021 Language Class Schedule All Chinese language classes take place Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. These classes require mandatory attendance in order to maintain student visa status. Failure to attend classes regularly will result in the termination of enrollment.   Fees: Application fee: 400 RMB Tuition fee: 7000 RMB/semester Books: Estimated 100-200 RMB Dormitory Fee: 1000-1200 RMB/month Insurance: 400/Semester (See table below fee breakdown.) Application Materials: 1、Application Form (Fill in online） 2、Clear photocopy of passport’s front page (Scan upload) 3、 Certification that you are currently enrolled in school, or a diploma, or a work certificate if you are working.(Scan upload) 4、Application fee of 400 RMB.（After the registration information is approved, the account will be sent by email to the registered email address.） Online application process: 1、Please log in the foreign student application system of Qingdao university within the registration opening time:http://istudy.qdu.edu.cn/ register and truthfully fill in the information online. Please choose the right major according to your study plan when you apply. 2、After checking the registration information, please upload the proof of paying the registration fee. After confirming the fee voucher, we will issue the“E-offer”admission notice online. Please pay attention to the registration email reminder. *If you are an applicant who is applying for scholarship, please refer to the corresponding scholarship notes. Continue filling up online after your application has been accepted. Application fee cannot be refunded. The Admission Process and Obtaining a Visa: Applicants with satisfactory applications will receive an “Admission Notice” and “Visa Application for International Students and Scholars to China (JW202 Form).” Please apply for an X1or X2 visa at the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in your home country by using our materials. Please fill in the mailing address and related information correctly. For details of visa process please check with the Chinese Embassy or Consulate. Due to the COVID-19, DO NOT enter into China before receiving new notice. QU will only arrange online registration and class online temporarily. Registration period: Feb., 2022（Estimated） All students must register in person at the Qingdao University International Student Office during this registration period. Contact Information: International Students Office 308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao, Shandong, China 266071 Qingdao University E-mail: [email protected] Tel: (86) 532-85953863 E-mail: [email protected] 电话：(86) 532-85953863 We look forward to meeting you here at Qingdao University!

Notice on 2022 Spring Recruitment of Chinese B.A Program for International Students 2021-10-09 16:53 Application Period: October 8 - December 10, 2021. Majors Available: Chinese B.A Program (from the first and the second year) and Chinese (Business Chinese, from the third year). For Major instruction please refer to: https://iie.gdufs.edu.cn/info/1078/3350.htm. Fees: Tuition fee: RMB 20, 000/year; Application fee: RMB500 (one-time charge, application fee waiver for keep-on study students); Insurance fee: RMB 800/year (Students who are now outside Chinese Mainland are exempt). Application Method: Submit online application on the official platform https://gdufs.17gz.org/ before the due date. Application must be confirmed from the Admission Office of IIE via phone call or email to [email protected]. DocumentsRequired: 1. High School certificate and transcript (notarized Chinese or English version must be provided instead of other foreign languages). 2. For applicants of Chinese (Business Chinese from the third year): Scan copy ofNew HSK 5 Certificate with score 180 or above, and take part in the university entering examination; For applicants of Chinese B.A. Program (from the second year):Scan copy of New HSK 4 Certificate with score 180 or above, and take part in the university entering examination; For applicants of Chinese B.A. Program (from the first year): HSK certificate is exempted buta basic Chinese knowledge is required. *Applicants who have not yet taken the HSK test due to the COVID-19 epidemic may contact the IIE Admission Office for the latest admission policy before processing the online application. 3. Photocopy of passport main page and *valid Chinese visa page (if have), and an 1-inchdigital bareheaded colorized photo. Any questions please feel free to contact with the Admission Office of IIE！ Address: Office102, No.7th Academic Building, No.2nd Baiyun Avenue North, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PR China Contacts: 0086-20-36207141, 36207142Original link

A GTSI staff member picking up arriving students at an airport in Shenzhen. More than 150 students from Hongkong, Taiwan, Chinese mainland, and foreign countries such as India and the United States have returned to register for the upcoming semester at the Nanshan campus of Georgia Tech Shenzhen Institute, Tianjin University. The institute also announced that this year became the first for it to officially recruit students from around the world who joined its four master's degree programs covering electrical and computer engineering, computer science, environmental engineering and analytics. GTSI is a cooperative education institution by Tianjin University and Georgia Institute of Technology, the campus has the same standards as Georgia Tech in terms of admission procedures, curriculum and class design, evaluation mode and academic degree rules. Wang Haoren, from Taipei, Taiwan Province, returned to the campus after working for HTC in Taipei for two years. “Georgia Tech’s classes are of high quality. I am sure that they will be conducted in Shenzhen the same way as in the US. Shenzhen is also close to Taiwan, so I chose to study in GTSI,” he said. This is also Wang's first visit to Shenzhen in which he says the city has left a deep impressed on him. "I hope to find a job in Shenzhen after graduation" he added. [caption id="attachment_763" align="alignnone" width="1080"] Shenzhen-GTSI[/caption] Alexander buddenbaum, from Texas, USA, posing for photos after registering at GTSI Nanshan campus on Saturday. Alexander buddenbaum from Texas, USA, is also one of the new postgraduate students majoring in computer science joining GTSI this year. Budenbaum said that he has adapted to the life of the city very quick and likes the good atmosphere of scientific and Technological Development in Shenzhen. The institute plans to attract more students next year as it will offer one more master's degree program in industrial design and a Ph.D. program for electrical and computer engineering. Founded in 1885, Georgia Institute of technology is said to be one of the most research-intensive universities in the United States. Nearly 40,000 students study in person at its main campus in Atlanta, Georgia Tech-Lorraine in France, GTSI, as well as through distance and online learning.Original link