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December 7, 2009
Traveling abroad? These Web sites can help

By David Payne

Emory has invested in two new travel resources designed to improve the planning, efficiency and safety of international travel for its faculty, staff and students. Below is information and commonly asked questions about the new sites.

International SOS
What is it? ISOS provides a critical service for Emory’s faculty, staff and students who are traveling on work-related business or on Emory-sponsored programs. Emory pays for the ISOS services, which are designed to improve the safety of Emory’s travelers.

What services does ISOS provide? ISOS is useful when problems arise while abroad. Among the services: providing pre-trip health and safety assistance; finding a local doctor while abroad; monitoring a traveler’s medical condition and when necessary, evacuation to a location providing medical care if local care is inadequate; assistance with lost documents or legal issues; and providing evacuation and assistance in the event of a security or terrorism incident.

What is an ISOS Travel Profile and why is it required? An ISOS profile, or “emergency record,” is detailed information about a traveler that is kept on record with ISOS. Profile information can include medical history, emergency contacts, passport and visa numbers, and more. It is the responsibility of all Emory international travelers on work-related business or Emory-sponsored programs to create and maintain a profile on the ISOS site prior to travel. If you have an emergency overseas, ISOS will be able to access, at the traveler’s request, the profile information.

How does Emory account for the whereabouts of its international travelers while abroad? When work-related business travel is booked via Emory’s preferred travel vendors, the traveler’s itinerary, or “travel record,” is automatically transmitted to the ISOS site. By centralizing these travel itineraries with ISOS, Emory can account for its faculty, staff and students and know how to reach them in the event of an emergency.
Where can travelers learn more about ISOS? To create an ISOS profile, visit www.international.emory.edu and link to ISOS via that site.

Emory’s International Site
What is it? Emory hosts www.international.emory.edu, which outlines Emory’s international activity and provides specific information for faculty, staff and students who have questions about travel, research and business abroad. Emory travelers should review the site before leaving the country.

What travel information is on Emory’s international site? This site is designed to be a helpful resource for first time travelers and offers:

• A checklist with useful list of “to-do’s” and suggestions before traveling abroad;

• Guidelines for leading a group on a trip overseas;

• Information for faculty and staff about Emory’s policies for conducting business abroad;

• Information for departments and units that host international scholars, faculty, administrators and others at Emory.