university
Singaporean student wowing British quiz show viewers could identify every country, their capitals at age 6
- “University Challenge” contestant Maximilian Zeng has become a social media darling for his impressive performance on the British quiz show.
- The 22-year-old Singaporean student and his teammates at Imperial College London won against the University of Reading team in the quarterfinals of the show’s 51st season.
- Zeng’s ability to answer almost every geography question correctly earned him praise online.
- The biochemistry student revealed that he received his first world map when he was 3 and was able to identify all countries and capital cities in the world by age 6.
- Imperial team captain Michael Mays was criticized online for allegedly ignoring Zeng and teammate Fatima Sheriff while focusing mainly on teammate Gilbert Jackson when seeking answers.
A Singaporean contestant on the British quiz show “University Challenge” is dazzling viewers with his impressive geography skills.
The Feb. 14 episode of the long-running TV show featured 22-year-old Maximilian Zeng and his Imperial College London teammates dominating against the University of Reading team in the quarterfinals of the show’s 51st season.
Supreme Court to hear cases alleging Harvard, UNC admissions discriminates against Asian students
- The Supreme Court agreed to hear cases on the consideration of race as a factor in college admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.
- The Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) is pushing for the court to repeal its 2003 ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger, which upheld the University of Michigan’s law school admissions policy.
- Harvard responded to SFFA’s petition by arguing that the university’s admission process did not discriminate against Asian American applicants.
The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will hear two cases on whether the consideration of race in college admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC) violates civil rights.
A ruling against the schools could affect affirmative action programs and racial diversity at public and private universities throughout the country.
‘We are systematically not represented’: Alumni group pushes for Dartmouth’s first AAPI studies department
- In early December, Dartmouth’s Asian Pacific American Alumni Association (DAPAAA) announced that it will start a fund to be put towards an Asian American and Pacific Islander studies department.
- The fund has raised about $203,000 so far.
- The establishment of the fund follows a pivotal year of campus activism, during which the Dartmouth Asian American Studies Collective collected 1,200 signatures in support of the department.
In early December, Dartmouth’s Asian Pacific American Alumni Association (DAPAAA) announced that it will start a fund to create an Asian American and Pacific Islander studies department.
The fund will be put towards hiring Asian American faculty and fellows as well as supporting research, new courses and off-campus programming, according to The Dartmouth.
Mother in China criticized for taking 6-year-old to postgraduate exam so he could ‘feel the atmosphere’
A mother in China took her 6-year-old son to witness “gaokao” — China’s annual college entrance examinations — so he could “feel the atmosphere of postgraduate examination.”
Sparking controversy: The mom, identified by her surname Li, drew online criticism for bringing her son to an exam spot in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province, reported the state-run Global Times.
Harvard says no need for SAT, ACT scores for applicants through 2026
Harvard University will not require SAT and ACT scores from undergraduate applicants until 2026, according to an official announcement released Thursday.
Driving the news: The new policy was conceived in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting limited access to standardized testing sites students have faced, according to the university. The university previously waived SAT and ACT scores as an admissions requirement for 2021 and 2022.
University of Maryland draws controversy for separating Asian students from ‘students of color’
The University of Maryland drew backlash over its enrollment and admissions graphic that separated Asian students from “Students of Color” and put them in the same section as white students.
What happened: The graphic was shown during a presentation by Daryll Pines, the university’s president, for the university senate “State of the Campus” report on Nov. 10, according to Fox News.
24-year-old who recently earned his master’s from University of Chicago is shot, killed in Hyde Park
Friends and community members gathered on Wednesday evening to light candles and leave notes and flowers in an area in Hyde Park where a University of Chicago graduate was shot and killed during a robbery.
What happened: On Tuesday, Shaoxiong “Dennis” Zheng, 24, was on the sidewalk on the 900 block of East 54th Place, an area known as a neighborhood of doctors and professors, before 2 p.m., when the deadly attempted robbery occurred, CBS Chicago reported.
Chinese UMich professor causes student uproar after showing movie featuring blackface actor
World-renowned University of Michigan (UM) music professor Bright Sheng faced backlash from students after he showed his fall seminar class a movie with blackface in it.
Controversy: Sheng showed the 1965 movie “Othello” to his undergraduate music composition seminar class on Sept. 10, where actor Laurence Olivier plays the character of the titular Moorish King while in blackface.
Sri Lankan grandma makes history as oldest master’s degree earner at Canada’s York University
A Sri Lankan grandma has just earned her master’s degree from a Canadian university at the age of 87.
Just a number: Varatha Shanmuganathan received her political science degree from York University on Nov. 2, becoming the oldest person to do so in the university’s history, reported CNN.
University of Oxford graduate college to be renamed for Vietnam’s richest woman
A University of Oxford college is planning on changing its name to Thao College after receiving £155 million from a Vietnamese investment group.
Donation: Linacre College signed a memorandum of understanding on Oct. 31 with SOVICO group to receive a donation of £155 million (approximately $211 million).
Vietnamese language courses offered at Ivy Leagues Brown and Princeton for the first time ever
Two Ivy League universities are offering beginning and intermediate Vietnamese courses for the first time in their history.
About the courses: Brown University’s beginning and intermediate Vietnamese language courses are taught by Trang Tran, a visiting lecturer who joined the university’s faculty this fall. Through their partnership with Brown, Princeton University also offers the courses to their students.
16-Year-Old Student Becomes Youngest University of Toronto Graduate in 40 Years
A 16-year-old is set to become the youngest student to graduate from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts & Sciences in at least 40 years.
An unconventional path: Vivian Xie, who found the last four years of her university life to be “pretty normal,” is double majoring in both biology and cell and molecular biology. She plans on pursuing a master’s degree in applied immunology at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine this fall, reported CBC.
