"My fellow students, when studying abroad, safety comes first and caution reduces danger", Lin Yitong and 7 other students, who were invited to serve as consular protection promoters on campus, were reading a proposal at the site of the monthly lecture on consular protection organized by the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office. This remarks were received with a hail of applause.

On November 20 and 23, the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office held the monthly lecture on consular protection at Beijing New Talent Academy and International Department, Yihai Campus of Beijing No. 8 High School, combining online and onsite activities. Nearly 600 students and students, who or whose child planned to study abroad, attended the lecture.

At the event, experts lectured on consular protection, epidemic prevention & control, and safety in foreign countries. They used specific cases to help students and parents realize that they must have fundamental safety knowledge, be familiar with the laws and regulations of destinations and the rules of universities, strengthen legal consciousness and foster the habit of obeying the laws and rules. They also advised the audience to properly evaluate the risks of studying abroad in the grave situation of the pandemic, raise personal safety awareness, and avoid going abroad unless necessary.

A promo of consular protection was shown, and relevant promotional materials were distributed. The lecture also included exercises of personal protection skills to enable the parents and students to master the relevant knowledge and skills. Eight students from the two schools were invited to serve as consular protection promoters on campus to help their schoolmates and parents better understand consular protection, and to remind them to keep a close eye on the pandemic overseas and put health and safety first.

"Without a strong safety awareness or attention to risks, students will face great risks when they are away from parents and familiar campus and in a new foreign environment. The lecture not only provides information about safety abroad and personal protection skills, but also gives the students a better understanding of consular protection. It tells students that our motherland will always back us up", said the leader of the International Department, Yihai Campus of Beijing No. 8 High School.

Wu Hanlu, a student from Beijing New Talent Academy, said, "The lecture enabled me to realize how serious the pandemic was in other countries. We should avoid going abroad unless necessary".

Currently, COVID-19 is raging in some countries and regions, causing greater risks of infection. The Municipal Foreign Affairs Office has organized five online lectures this year. It has also held offline events at the international departments of three high schools respectively in Xicheng, Shunyi and Fengtai. All these events help advocate Beijing students who plan to study abroad and overseas Chinese students avoiding traveling unless necessary. Nearly 200,000 people have attended the events.