university
Vigil held in honor of Purdue University student found murdered in his dorm room
- Hundreds of Purdue University students gathered around their campus’ "Unfinished Block P" statue on Wednesday evening to honor 20-year-old student Varun Chheda, who was murdered by his roommate earlier that day.
- “Varun Manish Chheda was no different than the rest of us here today. He lived on campus, faced the rigorous curriculum at Purdue and chose to come to this school in hopes of a successful future,” Katelyn On, a member of the university’s Asian Union Student Board, said.
- Ji Min Sha, a 22-year-old Korean student, was arrested shortly after informing authorities about murdering Chheda at around 12:44 a.m. on Wednesday.
- A preliminary autopsy conducted by the Tippecanoe County Coroner's Office indicated that Chheda died from “multiple sharp-force traumatic injuries.”
- At a news conference on Wednesday, Purdue University Police Department Chief Lesley Wiete said the incident was "unprovoked and senseless."
- Chheda was murdered 10 days before his 21st birthday.
Hundreds of students from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, organized a candlelight vigil in honor of Varun Chheda, a 20-year-old Purdue student found murdered in his dorm room this week.
The students gathered around their campus’ “Unfinished Block P” statue on Wednesday evening to light candles, offer letters and drop off flowers in honor of Chheda. Some organization leaders also spoke about him during the gathering.
Indonesian university apologizes for discriminating against non-binary new student
- Hasanuddin University, located in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province, has come under fire after a viral video showed a faculty member dismiss a new student for identifying as non-binary.
- Law Faculty Deputy Dean Hasrul allegedly called out Muhammad Nabil Arif Adhitya for displaying “unconventional mannerisms” and sitting between male and female students during a campus orientation.
- Muhammad was forced to stand on stage and explain themself but was eventually ordered to leave the event.
- Muhammad was reportedly held inside a lecturer’s room, where they had to declare themself as a male.
- A day after the incident, University Rector Jamaluddin Jompa assured reporters that the institution is “inclusive” and “open for all.”
- Hasanuddin University, better known as Unhas, is located in the city of Makassar, which is home to the ethnic Bugis people who recognize five genders.
A university in the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi has reportedly apologized after a new student accused a faculty member of discriminating against them because of their gender — in public.
The incident reportedly occurred during a campus orientation for new law students at Hasanuddin University, better known as Unhas, on Friday. The student in question, Muhammad Nabil Arif Adhitya, was allegedly called out by Law Faculty Deputy Dean Hasrul for “unconventional mannerisms.”
University in China bans professor whose wife alleges he beat her over 1,000 times
- Tang Ping, a 31-year-old mother of two in Nanning, China, posted photos and medical records on social media as alleged evidence of the times her husband Li Zhi physically beat her during the course of their eight-year marriage.
- Tang said she has been physically and verbally attacked at least 1,000 times, including during the pregnancy of their second child.
- Tang mustered the courage to seek a divorce last year. Li, an associate professor, denied the accusations in May.
- While Li has not been charged with domestic violence, the Guangxi University’s School of Economics has demoted and removed Li from his teaching position after investigating Tang’s allegations.
- The university has not revealed details of the investigation.
Guangxi University demoted and removed a professor from teaching after investigating his wife’s allegations that he beat her at least 1,000 times over the past seven years.
Tang Ping, a 31-year-old mother of two in Nanning, China, posted photos and medical records on social media as alleged evidence of the times her husband Li Zhi physically beat her during the course of their eight-year marriage.
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.
