AltSU organized the departure of students from Kazakhstan to their homeland

Citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan are the most numerous part of foreign students of Altai State University. After the introduction of the self-isolation regime and the transfer of the educational process to the remote mode, not all of them managed to leave for their homeland, because Kazakhstan imposed restrictions on crossing the border with the Russian Federation, and bus communication with a neighboring state was interrupted. Many students from Barnaul hired a taxi to the border crossing points and tried to return home on their own. In a desire to rectify the situation, the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Russia requested Russian universities to arrange the delivery of Kazakh students to the border of the two countries. AltSU management responded to the request and allocated four buses to help Kazakh students to return home. In total, 80 students expressed a desire to leave for their homeland, 70 of whom stayed in Altai State University dormitories, and the rest with relatives in Barnaul or in rented apartments. They are from different regions and cities of Kazakhstan: Astana, Pavlodar, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Semey (Semipalatinsk), Ridder, Karaganda, Taldykorgan and others. Not all Kazakh students decided to return home. After consulting with relatives, many of the students remained in Barnaul: as they say, Altai State University dormitories created a comfortable, favorable, epidemiologically safe environment, and students' health was constantly monitored.

On Monday, April 27, buses delivered the students directly from the AltSU main building to the Veseloyarsk border crossing point in the Rubtsovsky district of Altai Krai. After passing the border control, they will be quarantined in an observatory in the East Kazakhstan region, and tests for coronavirus will be done. Then, representatives of the akimats will pick up the guys and take them to their destinations in their own transport. At home they will undergo compulsory 14-day self-isolation.

2n-year student of the Institute of Biology and Biotechnology Stanislav Gosin from Pavlodar says:

“The last month I spent in self-isolation in dormitory No. 4. I tried not to go anywhere without a need. I took courses in a remote format. I am a bit nervous to return home, but it’s probably better to survive the pandemic at home with your parents! I hope that soon everything will work out, and I will be able to return to Altai State University!”

The trip organizers provided all the safety measures for the trip. Each student received a protective medical mask. Throughout the journey to the border with Kazakhstan, the motorcade was escorted by two crews of a special company of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Altai Territory.

As part of the AltSU motorcade, a bus with 11 Kazakh students from other universities in Barnaul set off.

By 6:00 pm local time, all the guys successfully passed the border checkpoint and set foot on Kazakhstan’s land.
It is important to note that regardless of the decision made by foreign students of AltSU to return to their homeland or stay in Barnaul for the period of restrictions associated with the pandemic, they all continue to study remotely and will finish the academic year on time. Graduate students will be able to remotely complete their studies, pass the state final certification and receive their diplomas.

This year foreign applicants have the opportunity of remote entry; for this, all the necessary digital services have been created and launched on the site abiturient.asu.ru.