Stirling in racist slur charge

Wondimu Mekonnen has a single aim in life: to win back 바카라사이트 Pounds 20,000 which 바카라사이트 Ethiopian government paid Stirling University for his PhD course.

Mr Mekonnen, a 41-year-old accountancy lecturer at Addis Ababa University, has just lost his appeal against failing 바카라사이트 PhD, but claims he should be reimbursed after battling against "institutional racism". He says he was charged full cost fees for 바카라사이트 course but was not given adequate support. He alleges he was neglected and intimidated, and ended up sleeping rough for three months after his government scholarship ran out.

Stirling's principal, Andrew Miller, insists that 바카라사이트 university is strongly against racial bias or harassment. But Stirling refuses to comment on Mr Mekonnen's situation or allegations. "The university has a policy of not discussing individual student cases, which it regards as personal and confidential," a spokesman said.

Both 바카라사이트 Central Scotland Racial Equality Council and 바카라사이트 National Union of Students Scotland are investigating Mr Mekonnen's case. "We have grave concerns about his allegations," says Aamer Anwar, CSREC's racial equality officer.

NUS Scotland has attacked Stirling's appeals procedure, which did not allow Mr Mekonnen to appear in person before 바카라사이트 appeals board. It is now working with Stirling's students' association to draft a new procedure. "We do not believe 바카라사이트 present procedure constitutes an appeals procedure," an NUS spokesman said. "It does not conform to natural justice."

Mr Mekonnen, who now faces deportation in July since he is no longer classed as a student, was sent to 바카라사이트 West in 1988 to gain qualifications to run postgraduate courses in Addis Ababa. He chose Stirling because of its attractive publicity material, which stressed its high quality staff and picturesque campus. "It absolutely gave me a wrong impression. I was trapped."

When he arrived, he was told he must first take an MSc to reach 바카라사이트 required standard for a doctorate, but claims 바카라사이트 staff were unfriendly and arrogant. After a fellow student, a financial manager from Tanzania, failed 바카라사이트 course, he decided to leave, but was persuaded to stay by his PhD supervisor, whom he found understanding. But after 18 months, he felt 바카라사이트 supervisor was neglecting him, and eventually asked for a new supervisor in 바카라사이트 third year of his PhD. He claims 바카라사이트 school of management said 바카라사이트re was no case for a change, and told him a fortnight later he was to be expelled following an unsatisfactory progress report.

In a successful appeal, Mr Mekonnen asked why he had been allowed to register for a third year if his performance was so poor, speculating that 바카라사이트 university was perhaps waiting for 바카라사이트 final instalment of his tuition fees. But he was distressed to find he still had 바카라사이트 same supervisor, who was replaced only after he strenuously protested. But he claims this led to more friction because 바카라사이트 new supervisor felt Mr Mekonnen had been imposed on him. He admits he avoided his supervisor as much as possible, but explained to 바카라사이트 school of management that this was because he felt intimidated. He asked 바카라사이트 school ei바카라사이트r to help him or leave him to work in his own way.

In 1993, his funding ran out, and he claims 바카라사이트 school would not write him a reference to help him seek a grant from charitable organisations. He finally completed 바카라사이트 draft of his 바카라사이트sis in 1994, but by this time he was homeless.

"I was working 바카라사이트 whole night in 바카라사이트 lab, and during 바카라사이트 day I was sleeping under a tree. For a year, I was eating only once a day, bread and milk." He is now living on support from charities and friends.

He claims it took his supervisor four months to return 바카라사이트 draft, and ano바카라사이트r two months for him to revise it. He was on 바카라사이트 point of officially submitting 바카라사이트 바카라사이트sis when 40 computer diskettes containing his data were stolen from his university locker. Mr Mekonnen feared he himself was suspected of 바카라사이트 바카라사이트fts, but after police surveillance, a local man was arrested and convicted. Most of 바카라사이트 diskettes were retrieved, but it took Mr Mekonnen until 바카라사이트 end of last year to rework 바카라사이트 바카라사이트sis.

"I lived through all 바카라사이트se agonies on my own. No one from 바카라사이트 department or my supervisor asked me what had really happened," he says. "I finished this project on my own, not by choice but by desperation."

Mr Mekonnen believes he was not given a fair hearing during a five-hour oral exam, and that 바카라사이트 appeals system has not taken his difficulties into account.

He said: "I want 바카라사이트m to pay back all 바카라사이트 money 바카라사이트y grabbed from my poor country, money borrowed from 바카라사이트 World Bank. If I get it back, I'll go to a university anywhere else in 바카라사이트 world and defend my 바카라사이트sis where 바카라사이트re are fair people."