Issue 13
June 26, 2003
Survey Report: The Impact of SARS on International Exchange and Cooperation Activities
While the SARS epidemic appears to be subsiding, it clearly has had a significant impact on the world community in more ways than one, as health concerns have led to a severe decline in international travel, particularly to and from Asia, which in turn has affected regional economies and other aspects of society. On a grassroots level, as one might expect, the impact of SARS has extended to activities involving international exchange and cooperation. For example, Japan and China share ties through close to 300 sister-city relationships, and this year, almost all related exchange projects were cancelled due to SARS. In a way, this SARS crisis is testing the strength of such relationships, and some Japanese citizens and groups are answering this challenge by finding alternative means of communicating a message of friendship and concern to their counterparts in SARS-affected regions. (Case study)
Toshihiro Menju, JCIE Chief Program Officer
From June 11 to 18, the Japan Center for International Exchange conducted an online survey directed at Japanese organizations to determine what specific consequences SARS has had for international exchange and cooperation activities. The number of respondents totaled 170.
Main Survey Results
- Types of Organizations that Responded:
International exchange associations (affiliated with local governments): 20%; civic groups involved in international exchange: 19.4%; international cooperation NGOs: 15.3%; regional/local government agencies: 13.5%; government-affiliated organizations: 7.6%; other: 24.1% - Target Regions of Respondents' Activities:
Domestic Japan: 65.9%; Northeast Asia: 48.2%; Southeast Asia: 42.9%; North America: 34.1%; Oceania/Pacific: 30%; Europe: 29.4%; South Asia: 27.1%. - Impact of SARS on Activities:
76.5% indicated that SARS has had an impact. Of these respondents, 28.8% said that they have received a heavy impact and 47.6% indicated they have received a moderate impact. - Type of Impact on Exchange Activities with SARS-Affected Regions:
Exchange visits to Japan cancelled/postponed: 41.8%; exchange visits abroad cancelled/postponed: 37.1%; overseas business trips not permitted: 18.8%; international event involving participants from SARS-affected areas cancelled/postponed: 14.1%; financial plan affected: 8.8%; conducted SARS-related support and other activities in target region (or plans underway): 6.5%; overseas office temporarily closed/overseas staff temporarily sent back to Japan: 4.1%. - Impact on Exchanges with Areas Not Affected by SARS and on General Operations:
No particular impact: 52.9%; exchange visits to Japan in general affected: 30.6%; exchange visits abroad in general affected: 29.4%; domestic activities, such as those to promote understanding of foreign cultures, affected: 8.2%; affected financially: 7.1%. - In response to a question asking for general opinions regarding these issues, we received comments concerning the need to create specific measures to deal with the situation and concerning the type of role that international exchange and cooperation activities should fulfill. Respondents also expressed concern about whether the SARS epidemic would give rise to discrimination against foreigners and an atmosphere of hostility toward foreigners.
The high percentage of respondents affected by SARS is tied to the fact that many are engaged in activities involving Northeast Asia (48.2%) and Southeast Asia (42.9%), where a large number of SARS cases have developed. However, the impact of SARS has manifested itself not just in connection to exchange activities involving these types of regions. In fact, of the 29.4% who responded that the primary target region of their activities is Europe, where there have been very few SARS cases, approximately 45% indicated that they have felt the impact of SARS. In addition, of the activities involving Europe, exchange visits to Japan have undergone the heaviest impact, mainly in the form of cancellations and postponements. This fact suggests that the virus has extended its impact even to exchange between countries where there have been limited cases of infection.
It is possible to say that these results derive from a global perception of Japan as being part of the SARS crisis area. For example, one international exchange association based in the Kinki region of Japan, which responded that it has experienced a "heavy impact," indicated that a project involving a visit by a middle-school student delegation from the United States to Japan was postponed. This example illustrates the fact that while Japanese society tends to view SARS as an outside problem since no cases have developed in the country, the rest of the world is placing Japan within the problem area.
The SARS virus has affected organizations financially, as well, not only through cancellations and postponements of exchange visits but also through such factors as increased work related to scheduling changes and other adjustments and having to buy more expensive plane tickets to avoid stopovers in affected regions.
Shigeko Morita, Program Assistant
Further details regarding the survey questions and results
Please send comments/inquiries to grassnet@jcie.or.jp.