Prince William should not be discriminated against for being born a royal, a Cambridge University professor has urged, following the Duke's enrolment on a bespoke course at the institution.
Criticism was levelled at the Duke of Cambridge after it was revealed he had been accepted into Cambridge with "mediocre" A-levels.
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But professor of the institution's computer laboratory Ross Anderson told Cambridge News: “Colleagues and I sometimes organise special courses for people from industry who want to learn about the latest research in our field. For this we charge them money. Every academic has the right to do this, so it is completely unfair of people to criticise poor Borys [Cambridge’s vice-chancellor professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz].
“Whether they have any A-levels at all is no more relevant than the price of tea in China.”
Anderson defended the right to create courses “for people who are prepared to pay for it” adding they should “not be discriminated against on account of the circumstances of their birth”.
The course is run by the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, an institution belonging to Cambridge University's School of Technology, of which Prince Charles is a patron.
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The course, which will end in March, has been designed to help him prepare for when he inherits the Duchy of Cornwall estate.
The duke will have 20 hours of teaching time each week, including work in small groups as well as one-to-one tuition and his own additional reading. He will also go on a series of field trips. He will be taught by academics specialising in geography, land economy and plant sciences.
Modules he is expected to study include rural and planning policy, farming and supply chains, site management, agricultural policy and conservation governance.