Page 54 - Education World July 2020

International News

and residences, according to NUS’ emergency information
website. Laboratory-based research staff have returned to
campus on staggered shifts, while administrative staff work
from home if possible.
In mainland China, the return to campuses began in
April. By late May, more than 90 universities, colleges and
vocational schools in Beijing were practising run-throughs
of temperature-taking and disinfection protocols, accord-
ing to Chinese media. At the Beijing University of Chemi-
cal Technology, for example, testing will be conducted on
staff, while students will need to scan a code before entering
premises. Some Beijing institutions, such as Tsinghua Uni-
versity, will allow students back from June 6.
Infection rates in China, where the novel coronavirus
was first reported in January, are now far lower than they
are in the West. Daily new cases in mainland China and Didier Raoult: hydroxychloroquine therapy champion
Hong Kong number in the single digits. Those figures are
at nearly zero in Taiwan and Macao. people who say scientists are hiding information about the
The situation is not as rosy across other parts of Asia, coronavirus from the public. Thirty-six percent of respon-
where universities are still largely closed, from Japan to dents now believe this is the case.
India. Even the most careful nations can backtrack. South Dr. Brouard attributes this shift in mood, which began in
Korea, which was praised as a model for widespread testing mid-April, to two controversies that have played out in the
and strict quarantining, had to make a U-turn on a decision French media. The first is confusion over face masks. Ini-
to reopen schools after new clusters of Covid-19 popped up tially, the government said there was no scientific evidence
in late May. “Universities around the world are carefully in their favour, he explains, and official scientific advisory
assessing their options regarding the reopening of their groups did not contradict this. But later, the government
campuses amid the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Prof. Tan changed tack, and the wearing of face masks is now compul-
Eng Chye, president of NUS. sory on public transport. “It’s a complete reversal of policy,”
says Brouard.
FRANCE The second incident to shake public trust is that of Didier
Falling confidence in scientists Raoult, director of the Mediterranean Infection Foundation
in Marseilles, whose early — and much criticised — study
A SURVEY HAS REVEALED THAT THE FRENCH of hydroxychloroquine set off hopes that it could be an
public has lost confidence in scientists during the effective treatment for Covid-19. Prof. Raoult has vocally
coronavirus pandemic, largely because of a policy defended the treatment in the French media — and to his
U-turn over face masks and the antics of a “populist” micro- more than half a million Twitter followers — dissing a deci-
biologist who has vocally championed hydroxychloroquine, sion at the end of May to stop using hydroxychloroquine on
the treatment touted by US President Donald Trump. Since patients by France’s top public health council.
the crisis began, trust in science appears to have risen in That decision followed a major study in The L anc et that
the UK, Germany and — at least among Democratic vot- found that the drug was associated with higher mortality
ers — the US. and heart problems. But after questions about the study’s
But science policy experts warn that researchers could data, the article has been retracted. “The house of cards is
face a backlash from a frustrated public as lockdowns drag collapsing,” Prof. Raoult tweeted, although he had previ-
on and a blame game begins, and France appears to be the ously questioned the data himself.
first country to produce evidence that the mood has soured. Raoult has even challenged France’s minister of health to
At the start of the crisis in mid-March, 84 percent of the a public popularity contest. A follow-up survey found Prof.
French public had confidence in scientists. Now, according Raoult to be somewhat more trusted, particularly outside
to latest data from late May, this has dropped to 74 percent. Paris and among the poor and unemployed. “Raoult seems
This is still far higher than the confidence reported in to adopt a populist stance in which the ‘people’ would be-
the government, the president and the media. Nonetheless, come the arbiter of scientific truths,” says Michel Dubois, a
“there’s a significant decline in confidence”, says Sylvain sociologist based at Sorbonne University. “Many scientists
Brouard, research director of the National Political Science in France are concerned about the image Raoult and his
Foundation at Sciences Po and one of a team tracking public observational studies may give of French research abroad.”
opinion in France during the pandemic. Meanwhile over (Excerpted and adapted from e Economist and Times
the same period, there has been a rise in the proportion of Higher Education)

54 EDUCATIONWORLD JULY 2020