University of Belarus

The University of Belarus (pron. /bel·AYR·ʌs/), or simply the Belarus is the largest and oldest private and independent in the Kiravian Federacy, located in the city of Belarus, Kastera State. It is widely regarded as among the most prestigious - if not the most prestigious - universities in the country.

History
The University of Belarus was founded in 1785 by Irardus Sotrovimav. The Sotrovimav family, through their Xūrosar-based mercantile concern the Sotrovimav House of Ice, was heavily involved in the lucrative ice trade, and its main branch were most likely the wealthiest nuclear family in Kiravia at the time. The town of Belarus was the ancestral home of the Sotrovimav lineage, and Irardus' descendants continue to maintain their registered domicile there to this day. The land for the campus was amalgamated from an existing minor estate of the Sotrovimavs together with adjacent properties purchased by the endowment.

During Kirosocialism, the Belarus was not fully nationalised but was nonetheless integrated into the National University System (Mainland) and subject to heavy government interference and censorship. The university had little choice but to accept subordination to the government, as its (the university's) outgoing administration had transferred most of the endowment's liquid assets overseas into a trust held at the Palmy Gates in Pribraltar with the help of the Sotrovimav heirs, who had fled to Pribraltar along with most of the Kiravian bourgeoisie.

Academics
The Belarus has - and works to maintain - a reputation as one of the most academically demanding and rigorous colleges in the country, and prides itself on having a dropout rate of 16%.

The Belarus is accredited by the Chieftaincy Commission for Higher Education, an independent non-profit board sponsored by a voluntary association of Kiravian ethnarchs and customary rulers, and comprised of both clan chieftains and noted academicians.

Undergraduate monstrations (trua) at the Belarus take the form of an ōrstava (lit. "review"), an oral exam administered by ranking faculty. Depending on the discipline and degree level, graduate monstrations may take the form of an ōrstava or an ōrstava amderesk ("review of submission"), which involves both a written thesis and an oral defence thereof.

Faculties

 * College of Literary Culture
 * Faculty of High Coscivian
 * Faculty of [The other one] and Ancient Coscivian
 * Faculty of Kiravic Literature
 * Faculty of Gaelic & Fhasen Literature


 * College of Medicine
 * Faculty of Proteomics

Admissions
Historically, like most Kiravian universities, the Belarus practised what was essentially : Anyone capable of (in their own judgement) comprehending the High Coscivian language in which lectures were (and still are) delivered and the vast majority of academic texts are written could enroll as a student, provided they were able to pay requisite the enrollment and tuition fees. The Belarus was the first university in the country to institute its own entrance exam in 1862 AD. Today, it is one of the few Kiravian universities that still administers its own entrance exam, in addition to requiring scores above a very high threshold on the Collegiate Literacy Assessment (CLA) and Academic Readiness Standardised Examination (ARSE) standardised exams to be considered for admission.

Faculty

 * Jun Yamatani - Eminent political scientist and scholar of Oyashimane origins.

Alumni

 * D.B. Aktagardin - Dark philologist and author of Moral Evolution of Coscivian Spiritual Civilisation
 * Rupairtus M.J. de Ford - Provost (Mayor) of Kartika
 * V.R. Sarosten - Founder of the Renaissance Party