Planning and precaution will help you stay safe during research jaunts

Let’s say your research takes you to Saudi Arabia, where you find yourself needing to travel from Jeddah to Riyadh. If you’re smart, you’ve thought about potential dangers, which, in a country that Harvard places in an “elevated-risk” category, could be many and varied. But as you jump into a car to make the drive, did you consider that the biggest danger you face is also one of the most mundane? Road accidents. Saudi Arabia has a significant road-safety problem, and the danger is compounded by the fact that if you’re a foreigner who doesn’t easily blend, or a woman, chances are you’ll be treated less quickly by emergency responders than male residents or those who pass as residents. Now that you know, you might plan differently, and begin to consider whether you should hire a driver, some security, or a second car to follow you on the road.

This is just one of the many scenarios that the new office of Global Support Services wants you to consider as you embark on your field work, which is an essential part of the research experience of so many Harvard graduate students. In recent years the University has significantly improved its ability to help you plan for, manage, and respond to any number of dangers — mundane or extraordinary — that a trip overseas might pose. By entering your information in the Harvard Travel Registry and updating it during your trip, and by checking in with Harvard’s resident international security guru in advance of particularly thorny trips, you can plan wisely, minimize your risk, and use your time in country to focus on the substance — your work, that is — rather than on logistics or anxiety.

All international travel poses risks, of course, and travelers should be prepared to respond to trouble no matter where they’re going, says Steve Taylor, the associate director for international safety and security at Harvard Global Support Services. This relatively new office was created to provide operational guidance and resources to students, faculty, and staff who are traveling or managing projects abroad. Taylor, a global security and travel specialist who has been to 72 countries and counting, has a network of contacts in countries around the world and can offer in-depth, sophisticated advice about almost any destination — and often even the name of a friendly resident to meet for tea.

He urges students to do their homework, to be objective, and to analyze their actual risk any potential setting. Travel to high-risk countries might conjure images of roadside bombings or violent mobs, leading students to neglect a given country’s problem with mugging. And travel to low-risk countries might foster a general sense of complacence, leading them to jump into a car in New Zealand without ever considering flat tires or the location of the nearest gas station. Travelers should “identify where they fit in a particular threat matrix,” says Taylor. “Look at what the real threats are, and determine whether you constitute a potential target. Do you blend, or will you stand out?”

Taylor keeps close track of emerging or overlooked threats in locations where graduate students might venture, and he debriefs returning students to get up-to-date intelligence. “We put people in touch,” he says. “We had a student in South Sudan last summer, and we’ve got a new student heading over there now. We can make connections between them, and that’s enormously helpful for the new student, especially in a country where I have few contacts.”

He urges students to do a sort of “what if” inventory: What if I get mugged and lose my ID? What if the building I’m staying in catches fire — do I have secondary accommodation? What if I need emergency medical care — can I pay for it? Do I have emergency funding? Proactively anticipating potential dangers helps clear away worry and enhances productivity during the trip.

When it comes to travel that is likely to involve the threat of real danger, “Our role isn’t to say you can’t go,” says Taylor. “Our role is to advise and help you get there safely, carry out your research safely, and get home safely.” There are times when he urges students to consider whether the risks outweigh the benefit, but if the student needs to go, Taylor will work with him or her on a risk-assessment plan and an emergency action plan.

He recounts a story about one student who was doing research on the drug cartels of northern Mexico. The student was a fluent Spanish speaker who was familiar with the situation on the ground but provided a daily itinerary to Taylor’s office, based on the demonstrated threat of kidnappings. The student and Taylor even decided to place a tracking device on the student’s phone. “Big brother was watching, but it was for a reason,” Taylor says with a smile. “Students go abroad to do research, and we want them to be able to focus on that, rather than being paranoid or fearful.

“I’ve been in the situation where my car has broken down in the middle of the desert,” he continues. “I’ve made the mistakes. I can save them the heartache.”

Traveling Abroad?
Before you go, visit www.traveltools.harvard.edu

• Register your itinerary in the Harvard Travel Registry
• Learn about services offered by Harvard Travel
• Assist (formerly called International SOS)
• Find visa requirements and application assistance
• Plan to update the Travel Registry while abroad if your plans, locations, or contact information change: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; 617-495-1111