September 11: Italy, Serbia, Malaysia, United States

Italy

Ripples from the attacks on America are being felt across the entire academic world. THES reporters examine the atrocity's impact on university communities

The new Italo-Arab University in Palermo, linked to the University of Tunis and with several Arab academics among its lecturers, began its first course with 40 students just six days after the attack. One of the founders, Patrizia Monterosso, said: "It would be a defeat if the prejudice that all the Arab world is involved in violence were consolidated. This prejudice must be swept away."

Florence's mayor declared a day of mourning because of the 20 US universities with branches in or around the Tuscan capital. The International University of Perugia has been put on the official list of possible terrorist targets.

Serbia

Ripples from the attacks on America are being felt across the entire academic world. THES reporters examine the atrocity's impact on university communities

Students at Belgrade University expressed shock, sympathy and revulsion at the attack. But, for a country that spent almost three months under American-led Nato bombing, the reaction was tempered with schadenfreude.

History student Pedrag Kandic, 25, said: "Many people here are a bit happy about the attack, because we suffered at the hands of the Americans, although not in the same manner - but in a similar way. But personally, I am not happy, because this is an act against civilisation, not against America."

His colleague Nenad Ivic, 22, took a hard line:"It is good. America will now have to consider its role in world politics and will lose strength and credibility if it seeks to counterattack."

But Mirjana Marjanovic, also a history student, said: "I think it is awful that so many innocent civilians have died and I'm very, very sad."

Malaysia

Ripples from the attacks on America are being felt across the entire academic world. THES reporters examine the atrocity's impact on university communities

Education minister Tan Sri Musa Mohamad has directed university vice-chancellors to investigate claims that thousands of students have been recruited by underground Islamic fundamentalist groups.

United States

A computer science student at the University of California, Berkeley has created what is recognised as the most comprehensive contact website for people caught up in the attack.

Miriam Walker conceived the idea within hours of the atrocity and, by 5pm on the day of the attack, had begun collecting names. The site is hosted on the Millennium Cluster, a research project at the university.

safe.millennium.berkeley.edu