The TopUniversities.com guide to the latest university news from around the world, on 2 September 2013.
India: Girl of 13 to begin her master’s next week
Sushma Verma is a 13-yr-old girl in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, who has already completed school and three years of college, and will start a master’s degree in microbiology at Lucknow University next week, reports NDTV. Her father, Tej Bahadur Verma, is a poor labourer who nevertheless paid the initial fee of '₹'25,000 (US$380) as soon as he heard that her name was on the merit list, without thinking about the other '₹'75,000 (US$1,140) still required. Sushma could not get into medical college after school because she was too young, but will try again when she turns 18.
South Africa: First forensic science degree offered
The University of the Free State is offering South Africa’s first BSc degree in forensic science, reports University World News. The degree will target people involved in fighting crime, like the South African Police Services (SAPS), and is a response to the extremely high crime rate in the country. While this is the university’s first BSc program in the field, it has been offering an honors program in forensic genetics since 2010. Classes will start next year with a minimum of 80 students.
UK: Scottish university helps police fight crime
Edinburgh Napier University is offering a one-week course called Digital Investigator to help police and detectives fight online crime, reports the BBC. They will be trained to trace instant messaging and to capture and analyze web traffic. Police Scotland's Cybercrime lead, Detective Superintendent Steven Wilson, said: "Investigations in such a quickly evolving area present significant challenges to law enforcement and providing our officers with an in-depth understanding of cyber investigations is fundamental to the delivery of a quality service.”
Malaysia: Scholarships offered to students from OIC member states
The International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) is offering scholarships to students from member states of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), under the Educational Exchange Program (EEP), reports Arab News. The program is called “Solidarity through Academia in the Muslim World”, and is gathering momentum as more institutions in the member states participate and show an interest. The aim is to strengthen academic links between OIC member states, which will help to facilitate the advancement of knowledge in the Muslim world.