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Letter to the community from President Hockfield on Japan

Community members in MIT Japan program are accounted for and safe

To the members of the MIT community:

The catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Japan stand as shocking reminders of the unpredictable force of nature and the fragility of the structures on which our societies rely. With great sympathy and sadness, we send MIT's condolences to the people of Japan in this most difficult time, and we offer our full support to members of the MIT community who are personally impacted by this tragedy.

MIT’s global reach includes strong and active connections with Japan — from our MISTI students, through the MIT Japan program, to faculty members who work in the region or collaborate with Japanese colleagues, to our alumni who come from or have settled in Japan. We are still collecting information about members of our community who have been directly affected, however, at this time we have accounted for many students, staff and faculty currently in Japan and have determined that they are safe.

I call to the MIT community’s attention today’s travel alert from the U.S. State Department advising U.S. citizens against traveling to Japan at this time. [Update: As of March 17, a "high" travel warning has been issued by MIT regarding Japan, meaning student travel is prohibited. Learn more about MIT's Travel Risk Policy here]

Current students from Japan enrolled at MIT have been contacted in the wake of the disaster, and we are offering support and guidance. Any MIT community members in need of support or counseling should contact MIT Medical's Mental Health Service at 617-253-2916; Student Support Services is also available at 617-253-4861.

As we learn more in the days ahead, we will keep the community informed.

Sincerely,
Susan Hockfield


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