A STUDENT hopes to raise money to fund his research - into medieval swordsmanship.
Antony Cummins has set up a website asking for donations to pay for his PhD in 13th century fighting techniques.
Graduate Antony needs £37,000 to back the three-year study after his application was knocked back by funding organisations.
His website, www.phd-help.com, asks visitors to make a donation over the internet and he has already raised £400 largely from friends and acquaintances.
Antony, 28, from Irlam, Salford, believes his research into century-old combat manuals will help re-kindle interest in a lost tradition and be useful to future historical researchers. Antony's funding application was rejected by the Arts and Humanities Research Council who say they normally only fund students with first-class degrees, the highest possible mark.
Although he has a 2:2 grade, he says that this would be sufficient for him to qualify for funding research into science or engineering.
He has applied to a number of bursaries and even written to business leaders including Richard Branson and the Duke of Westminster asking for help to cover the £11,000 course and annual living costs.
Appeal
But confronted by a lack of success, he decided to appeal directly to the public for help and has already raised £400 through e-mailing friends and contacts.
He said: "I have gone through everything I could possibly think of to apply for funding.
"It occurred to me that the one thing I hadn't tried was to ask strangers for money. If a thousand people visit and give £2 each, it could make a huge difference.
"These sword fighting techniques are an up and coming subject which is very popular in America. As well as reviving an English tradition, it could inform things from history books to stage fighting and Shakespearian drama."
Antony, who spent two years teaching English in Japan after gaining an archaeology degree at Manchester University, says he has already found a publisher in America interested in printing a book on his findings. His site is one of several which have sprung up on the internet which appeal directly to the public for cash, often to pay for course fees.
Comments
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and in the mean time , there are how many starving children in this world that would benefit far more from peoples hard earned cash.
And "living expenses" , do what most students do...get a job!
what a completely useless subject to do a Phd in...
Sounds an interesting and worthwhile area of study.
My advice to the philistine hypocrites below is not to donate of you don't want to.
a damning indictment of our education system whereby students have to beg for money blah blah blah. i'll give him a quid if he dances for me.
You go to Uni and study English, you can go on and teach. Study journalism and you can become a journalist. What exactly do you do with a PHD in 13th Century sword fighting techniques?!?!?
He could try hiring a couple of old Errol Flynn or Zorro films.Now they could show him a thing or two about fencing
hmm, he doesn't look like he's quite ready to handle errol flynn's sword yet.
I am not convinced that any good can come of this however I am convinced that the public's money could be better spent. What exactly can you do with a Phd in Medieval swordmanship...maybe become part of the entertainment team at Camelot?
There you have it, £37,000 to study at uni for 3 years. Ever since the introduction of "fees" the universities have been raking it in!
Ive calculated that my uni studies are costing me an average of £4000 for the course. This is through the open uni where im working full time on a income of £14500pa and paying a mortgage which ive just got (first time buyer) on my own. All this rubbish that people can't get jobs to go with phds degrees or whatever makes me mad. I can do it and im your averagwe joe bloggs (i hope!!) so why can't others????
Makes me sick. My kid went to Manchester Uni to avoid the huge expense in living away from home. She then worked two nights and every saturday and sunday. She finished up with a 2:1 in Law and no debts. All we contributed were the course fees (about £3500 over the 3 years). Students don't have to live away from home, spend thousands on boozing and continually whinge about unfairness. If you don't like the fees - DONT VOTE LABOUR NEXT TIME.