Exploring Response Pathways for Emergencies Among University Students

Abstract

With the deepening of higher education massification and ongoing social transformation, emergencies involving university students have shown new dynamics, including diversified triggers, network-mediated dissemination, and amplified societal impact. These developments pose formidable challenges to the governance capacity of higher education institutions. Focusing on the core characteristics of such emergencies—namely, their high public visibility and strong stakeholder participation—this paper analyzes their nature and defining features, identifies current deficiencies in universities’ early warning systems, response procedures, educational guidance, and communication practices, and proposes systematic response pathways. Specifically, it advances strategies across five dimensions: institutional mechanism development, technological enablement, educational guidance, communication and responsiveness, and post-crisis optimization. The study aims to provide actionable insights for universities seeking to establish a comprehensive “prevention–response–aftermath” emergency management framework.