A University of Bradford student has spoken of how he fled the Taliban in his home town in Pakistan to study in the city.

Iqbal Hussan, 30, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Forensic Archaeology and CSI, benefited from a Countries in Crisis scholarship to study in Bradford.

The university has recently pledged to spend another £200,000 in scholarship and hardship funding this year to help talented individuals from across the world.

A total of 124 students benefited from the £200,000 spent this academic year.

Mr Hussain came to study at the university in 2009 from his home in Swat Valley, Pakistan.

He said: “My home town was once a flourishing tourist destination, but since the Taliban established itself there in 2007 it has become unrecognisable.

“My country is now experiencing its worst refugee crisis since partition from India in 1947 and the result is that three million refugees have fled without money or belongings.

“Many people are living in tented camps and depend on host families and international aid donations.”

Mr Hussain’s family lost everything they own when they fled their home and now live in a camp, relying on aid agencies for food.

He said: “I am so grateful to the university for my scholarship. It has transformed my life. I believe that knowledge is power and I wish to advance my knowledge in forensic science so that I can benefit other people.”

The university has a strong record of attracting UK students from non-traditional backgrounds.

Latest figures from 2007/08 show the university had 18.5 per cent of students coming from low-participation neighbourhoods, compared to the average 11.4 per cent, and 52.2 per cent of students from low socio-economic groups, compared to the 35.9 per cent average.

Vice-chancellor Professor Mark Cleary said: “Our students come from a very diverse range of backgrounds and many struggle to get here due to financial circumstances.

“We are proud to help talented UK and overseas students who, without these scholarships, would usually otherwise not be able to attend university.

“These students tell us how a university education truly changes their life, and often the lives of their families too.

The £200,000 pledged for next year will cover Investing in Excellence and Community scholarships in sport, arts and volunteering, enterprise and environment, Countries in Crisis scholarships and Academic Excellence scholarships.

The university has highlighted the importance of scholarships as part of Universities Week.

For more information about Universities Week visit brad.ac.uk/media- centre/universities-week or universitiesweek.org.uk.