Universities cancel tours, admission tests

Fudan University announced that it has suspended campus tours for outside visitors from Friday as a precaution against the spread of a coronavirus-related pneumonia outbreak.

Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Shanghai Theater Academy, Shanghai University and Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts have also decided to postpone their admission tests. New exam schedules will be released later.

The announcements were made in light of an outbreak of coronavirus-related pneumonia and the Ministry of Education’s recent notices on epidemic prevention and control.

Tsinghua University and Peking University in Beijing have also both suspended campus tours from Friday and all prior reservations have been canceled.

Some artistic colleges, including the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, China Academy of Art in Zhejiang Province and Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts in Shaanxi Province have also announced the postponement of admission tests.

The ministry released a notice on Thursday calling for higher education institutions to take measures to prevent and control the disease, and adjust teaching arrangements in the next semester if necessary.

It asked educational authorities and schools not to organize large-scale activities or tests. For those which must continue as scheduled, organizers have to make emergency plans and adjust test settings while also reporting to health and education authorities.

It also asked educational authorities to tell students in their jurisdictions not to participate in competitions, exhibitions, tests and other large-scale activities held by social organizations.

The notice stressed that educational administrations and colleges in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province and epicenter of the pneumonia outbreak, should educate all faculty and students with knowledge of preventing the disease.

They are also asked to issue alerts to students remaining on campus and tell them not to go outside, if possible, and not to linger in crowded places. Schools are also asked to prevent outsiders from randomly entering campuses and cancel visits from tourism groups.