The University understands that many in our community will be closely following the conflict in Iran and the wider region with concern about its impact and the uncertainty of what will unfold in the days and weeks to come.

We have previously reached out directly to students and staff who have indicated they are domiciled in the region to offer support and to recognise the terrible impact of conflict and violence in Iran in recent months. Our thoughts remain with those who have lost loved ones and those who are concerned about family members, friends, or colleagues.

We want to ensure all those who may be affected have access to the support available at the University and encourage people to signpost students and staff to the advice and services outlined here.

As part of our current support offer, anyone with an @bath email address has access to Crisis24 Horizon. This free service provides 24/7 alerts of threats and disruptions, country risk analysis, and actionable safety and security advice. To access the service, visit the Crisis24 Horizon login page, register as a new user, create a password, and verify your account using the link in the verification email.

Travel

The UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) regularly updates its guidance on travel to countries in the region. If you are a UK national please follow the latest advice from FCDO Travel Advice for Middle East for the latest information, which includes:

  1. Register your presence if you are in one of these affected countries
  2. Monitor travel advice for the country you are in
  3. Follow advice from local authorities
  4. Read the guidance on being affected by a crisis abroad.

If you are not a UK national please review the advice from your government.

Travel via the Middle East to other countries, including the UK, is significantly disrupted and you should follow the advice of your airline provider before starting a journey.

All staff and students planning international travel on University business are expected to follow University travel guidance before travelling to any country where there is a UK Government Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advisory against travel.

Student support available to you through the University

  • if you are currently in the affected region, please contact your department so we can support you, and contact your relevant local embassy for up-to-date advice
  • our Student Support and Wellbeing Service; you can speak to an Advisor on weekdays from 9am-5pm at the 4 West Roper Centre, with no appointment necessary, or by emailing studentsupport@bath.ac.uk
  • help is also available from The SU’s Advice and Support Centre, and from The Independent Advisors for PGR students (for PGR students only)
  • our “Be Well - Talk Now” service, which provides free, confidential advice and support by phone from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. From within the UK, please call 0800 028 3766; from outside the UK, please call +44 800 085 2570, or visit our Be Well - Talk Now page for more information
  • the Chaplaincy staff are available to talk with anyone who has been affected, in total confidence. You can email chaplaincy@bath.ac.uk, or Ian Spence our Coordinating Faith Leader at ids37@bath.ac.uk.

Staff support available through the University

  • if you are currently in the affected region, please contact your Head of Department so we can support you, and contact your relevant embassy for up-to-date advice
  • our Health Assured Staff wellbeing support and Assistance Programme  services offer free and confidential counselling support for staff either in-person, by phone or online
  • the 24/7 online and phone-based Education Support Partnership service, which is an independent counselling service. Staff can contact them directly by phoning 08000 562561 or by emailing support@edsupport.org.uk
  • if you’re concerned about a student who may have been affected, please call Student Support on 01225 384321.

As an inclusive international community, we’d ask everyone to continue to be supportive of one another.

If you have concerns, either for yourself or others, please remember our Support and Report online tool, the SafeZone app, and the availability of the Security team at all University sites on campus and in the city. You may wish to look at our #NeverOk online toolkit for some guidance.

We will publish updates to this message as needed.