University of Khouth
The University of Khouth is a minor university, in general specialising in the Social Sciences but with Physical and Life Science departments. Many of its graduates are granted places in the two Imperial Research Stations in the nearby systems of Aerfor and Koergfoes and this brain-drain has badly affected the institution's reputation in subjects covered by those stations. Both Ling Standard Products and SuSAG sponsor teaching posts at the university.
One of the highlights of the University of Khouth is its access to the World's collection of historical data and artefacts from pre-Imperial times.
History & Background[edit]
The University of Khouth was formed from a merger of three lesser institutions and moved into the "University Orbital" in 793 by the efforts of the Second Daughter of the then Duke of Khouth - a woman of formidable academic talents and chief of the World's Department of Education. The orbital is placed 1000km behind that of the planet's principal high-port.
Patronage of the university posts was always in the hands of the Duchy of Khouth - a factor that limited the academic freedoms of the institution, and worked to lessen its overall academic reputation.
A psionic institute within the university was suppressed without incident in 824. (There was fighting elsewhere by elements unrelated to the institute.)
The scandals of 911 to 913 relating to the activities of a ring surrounding the (later disinherited) son of the Duke of Kaasu were cleared up by the MoJ and the University of Khouth cleared of complicity - but the suspicion of a cover-up almost strangled funding for nearly 3 decades. That it survived the period was due to donations at the time from an unnamed benefactor.
Rebellion[edit]
The University of Khouth was allowed to continue by the Dzarrgh Federate after their arrival purely because the Vargr Government needed the industrial base of the planet to continue to function. Many of the university's intrinsically valuable artefacts were plundered in the period 1119-1120. Between 1119 and 1138 there was a mass exodus from Khouth by its Vilani inhabitants, and this particularly affected the academic staff of the university who were both rich enough to flee and sufficiently well educated to be able to attract jobs off world. After 1123, the University of Khouth's educational standards had slipped considerably.
References & Contributors[edit]
- Author: BackworldTraveller