Safety awareness vital for students overseas

Educators and security specialists have urged Chinese students overseas to hone their safety awareness after recent tragedies involving Chinese citizens abroad.

With suspect Brendt Christensen charged with kidnapping visiting scholar Zhang Yingying, alarm bells have been going off over the safety of students whose native country is the world's largest source of international students.

Cultural differences and an unfamiliar environment make it crucial that Chinese students studying overseas stay alert on potential security risks. Those already overseas and those planning to go abroad need to learn to protect themselves properly, consultants said.