Beijing universities to take online classes amid coronavirus outbreak

The Beijing Normal University (BNU) in China has closed down indefinitely amid the rising death toll due to coronavirus outbreak as well as barring its students from visiting their countries in the upcoming winter holidays.

However, classes for the spring semester will be conducted online, says a notice from BNU's International Student's Office. The online classes will begin on February 24.

The notice also states that students from either the dormitories or their home countries will be able to attend the online classes.

Although students are concerned about the quality of the online classes, BNU authorities have ensured that the quality of the classes will be retained.

Md Sahabul, an associate professor at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet and a PhD researcher at BNU, said, "Beijing Normal University has set an example of how academic activities can be continued despite moments of crisis, and China has set another example by using technology for education."

Tanvirul Islam, a Bangladeshi student at BNU, said, "We were notified of the online classes a week ago. For the university, although it is not possible to start the spring semester classes immediately after the holidays given the situation, the quality of the classes worries me since BNU has never conducted online classes before."

The good news is that the semester will be completed on time, he added.

Shahnaz Akhter, a master's student of world economics at BNU, said, "Online classes are a good call since no one knows when the situation will improve."

Two other universities - Central University of Finance and Economics and Tsinghua University in Beijing, announced to take classes online.

Additionally, China's Ministry of Education ordered all universities in China to extend the winter holidays.