The Musaeum of Pharos is the largest and most famous university in the sector. The Velan Ascendancy's university and research facilities on Pharos are the sector-leading centers of learning, teaching and only second to House Triangulum's research facilities. The Musaeum offers more than 300 different graduate degree programs for its nearly one million students from all around the sector. Entry into the Velan university is very competitive, with more than 700,000 people applying for the 100,000 undergraduate openings each year. Since the Founding of the Ascendancy the Musaeum of Pharos closed its doors to all nobles prior to the Exigo of Vela this has caused the half of the student population needing to be replaced by free peoples or by Ascendancy Citizens that were unable to be considered during the scouting process before.
Location[]
The Musaeum of Pharos has spread out across the entire surface of Pharos, to accommodate the many departments and the specific needs of the Velan education system, which is very much focused on the interaction with teacher-student interaction. Subjects are taught on a one-on-one basis or in small study groups. Students are encouraged to do their own research, debate their findings, and teach younger students right from the beginning of their education.
Scouting Process[]
The Musaeum of Pharos has scouts assigned to all important Lycaeums, each to watch over the students as they progress, gaining knowledge and skills from ages 14-16. When a scout has found a child who possesses talent, at age 16 they will send a letter of interest to the family. The scouting process accounts for 58% of the student population for the Musaeum and 74% of graduates. Upon being scouted by the Musaeum of Pharos, your Merit Score is set to Rank 1, 1.8m if your merit was lower.
Application Process[]
Of course, it is also possible to be admitted into the College without being scouted. Prospective students from all around Acheron Rho send in applications. Applications are accepted only if they have a send date within the 4-week application window the Musaeum of Pharos allows. Regardless of background and standing, applicants are required to send in a 1,500-word essay on their accomplishments, as well as what they hope to advance for society and navigation or their discipline as a whole. They also have to send in a video recording stating that they are willing to move to Pharos to complete their training and that they will be attending the Musaeum of their own free will. If an application is reviewed and accepted the applicant will get a letter asking them to come to Pharos for the admittance process. About 42% average of the student body are applicants, but only a 26% average of a graduating class is from this group of students.
Admittance[]
Getting invited to the admittance process does not guarantee that you are accepted into the Musaeum of Pharos, it means that the Musaeum is interested, but you or the Musaeum can back out at any time. After getting a letter and scheduling a date, the student and one adult will be flown out to the Musaeum for 4 days. The first day you get a tour of the Musaeum and Pharos, then you sit in on 2 lectures of your choosing, finally, you have dinner one-on-one with a Ustadh. The next day you have an interview with 3 Eamid, chosen based on your interests. The third day you have a test, testing your knowledge on the department you decide to go into. On the final day, if you have not been dismissed, you are asked to join the Musaeum and participate in the acceptance ceremony. 95% of students pass this part as the scouts and reviewers are very selective in who they allow through.
Merit Freeze[]
Regardless of the college anyone goes to at the Musaeum of Pharos your merit is frozen for the duration of your stay. All merit ranks are hidden if you are a student or faculty member while on campus. However, it is required to continue to wear MoM Eyewear to track your merit through your stay. At your graduation, your merit will be unfrozen and your score will be adjusted appropriately. If your merit score is revealed to have fallen below rank 1 you will not be allowed to graduate.
Guest Professors[]
Several departments of the Musaeum are run by guest professors. They usually use their own teaching methods and bring their very own style to their field of research. The Velan Ascendancy explicitly encourages this as a good example of collaboration within the sector.
The Student-body[]
The Musaeum on Pharos is only accessible for students from STO members and the Deathless. Until the disagreements between the Empire and the STO are resolved, the Musaeum remains closed for the Imperial Houses and affiliated organizations.
Historically, before the Exigo of House Vela, students were only accepted from Noble families but this policy was revoked during the creation of the Velan Ascendancy.
Rivalry with the Delta Institute[]
The Musaeum of Pharos is known best in the sector due to its exceptional navigational studies and its wide range of classic academic departments, while the Delta Institute on Lovelace is leading in cutting-edge science and research. Post the Exigo of House Vela the once playful rivalry has turned more serious, instead of the celebration of science the competition is more political in nature. The stakes have become much higher and defeat more severe.
The Colleges of Pharos[]
The Musaeum of Pharos has hundreds of colleges spread out all over Pharos. Here only the most famous of them.
The Iridescent Business College[]
Being in the Sector Trade Organization provided the Musaeum of Pharos the opportunity to recruit guest teachers for this department from the A.C.R.E. Corporation and the PRISM Network. Was renamed during the restructuring of the college.
Subjects / Specializations: Administration, Tax Law, Accounting
Mission Statement: To provide students with the knowledge and skill to be successful in the business across the sector.
Aministration and Accounting are taught by guest teachers from the PRISM Network with Tax Law being taught by A.C.R.E. Corp Directors.
Academy of the Soul[]
Mission Statement: To provide those willing to explore the spiritual side of humanity the opportunity to do so.
Subjects / Specializations: Religion, Philosophy
Taught by members of the Church of Humanity, Repentant. One of the smaller colleges with only one hundred or fewer students at a time. The teachers are notorious for not agreeing on anything.
Roshan Lange Institute[]
Mission Statement: To arm those who would duel with words with tools necessary to come out ahead in any negotiation.
Subjects / Specializations: Imperial Relations, Interstellar Diplomacy, Negotiations
Taught by Sejarah who have graduated from Pharos and have been serving as Rasul or within the government of the Ascendancy.
Rosemary Sayigh Historical Institute of Acheron Rho[]
Mission Statement: Exploring the past of humanity to understand its future, to safeguard those unwilling to repeat past mistakes.
Subjects / Specializations: History of the Empire, Scream Studies, History of Old Earth, History of Humanity and Aliens.
Taught by Velan Sejarah in small study groups. Curriculum often leads students all over the sector for excavation and surveying opportunities.
[]
Mission Statement: To provide the brightest students with the most rigorous curriculum in the Ascendancy for navigation.
All classes for the first year follow the Velan navigation tradition. But during the all later years after picking a Class to focus on it is taught on a one on one with top-rated Ustadh that also graduated from this program.
For main article see: Velan Navigational Education
The Crescent Foundation[]
The Crescent foundation was founded in 3153 by a group of Eamid from the disciplines listed.
Mission Statment: To promote scientific research and experimentation in The Muesaum of Pharos, and to eventually match House Triangulum in cutting-edge discoveries. Also to keep the Velan Ascendancy top in the sector on inventions and innovations.
All classes are taught by one Fakri in their field of expertise. Usually in a lab team of six people from all with other disciplines to encourage different types of problem-solving.
All students that want to apply must have completed their mandatory navigation training and have completed at least one degree in any of the fields listed. All students must be of Rank 3 Merit score and must sign NDAs. The are also usually given Military R&D security clearance.
Subjects / Specializations: Miltary R&D, Spike Drive Research, Pre-scream/Alien Tech Research, Advanced Medical Experimentation, Advanced systems(V.I. to A.I.), Psychic enhancement-Tech.
The Fall of The Velan Ascendancy[]
Following the attacks on Orpheus, agents of the Velan Ministry of Merits under influence of the Conclave, together formed the organization [REDACTED] and justified the events on Orpheus and after, by naming the series of events Operation Kali Yuga. The formation of [REDACTED] inevitably triggered the Velan end time plans: T.I.A.M.A.T (Transit Infrastructure And Mass Archive Termination). They destroyed all of Vela’s core services by first wiping servers and then blowing up the physical facilities.