In a rare gesture, Lancaster University is to set up an annual scholarship in memory of Anuj Bidve, the Indian student whose murder in a suspected racist attack in Salford, Manchester, over Christmas holidays sparked widespread outrage and has led to concerns about the safety of foreign students in Britain.
The Anuj Bidve Memorial Scholarship, announced by Vice-Chancellor Mark E. Smith, would fund a graduate from Pune University, to study M.Sc. in Lancaster University's engineering department where Anuj was reading postgraduate micro-electronics.
“The scholarship is a fitting and lasting way of remembering Anuj, who was an outstanding student,” Professor Smith said. He said the scholarship, which would cover the fee and accommodation cost, had been agreed in accordance with the wishes of Anuj's family.
The university hopes the first beneficiary would come to Lancaster in October.
Anuj (23), a graduate of Pune University, came to Britain last autumn. He was shot dead by a white gunman in an unprovoked attack on December 26 while holidaying in Salford with friends.
Wave of outrage
His murder caused a wave of outrage, with Prime Minister David Cameron calling for maximum punishment for his killer. Ministers have assured foreign students that Britain is a safe place to come and study.
Kiaran Stapleton (20), who calls himself “Psycho Stapleton,” has been charged with Anuj's murder and is due to appear in the Manchester Crown Court next month.
