Philadelphia's Temple University pulling students out of Japan

Update on TU Japan

Updated Thursday, March 17, 2011


Out of concern for the situation at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the U.S. State Department is making arrangements to evacuate personnel from Japan and issuing the following travel warning: "The State Department strongly urges U.S. citizens to defer travel to Japan at this time and those in Japan should consider departing."

Taking into account the State Department's warning and technical data from experts with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other federal agencies, we have decided to make arrangements to help evacuate our U.S. students from Japan if they want to leave. We are working with our contracted partner for international emergencies, International SOS, to arrange for a charter that will take our estimated 200 remaining U.S. students from Tokyo. (Some have already left Japan.) U.S. staff at Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) may also participate in our evacuation. TUJ Dean Bruce Stronach, a U.S. citizen, has elected to stay. Most non-U.S. students and staff will, for now, remain in Japan.

Dean Stronach and his staff at TUJ — which is mostly Japanese — have been exemplary in their handling of this trying and fast-evolving series of emergencies. They have worked tirelessly to keep our students safe. We are grateful for their courage and wisdom.