ABU DHABI // The Rhodes Trust is putting its name to scholarships for UAE students to attend the University of Oxford in England.
After a two-year trial as Falcon Scholarships, the programme now has full Rhodes status, which means all past and present winners will now be known as Rhodes Scholars.
One or two from the UAE will be selected each year, and the award will have a total annual value of more than £50,000, or Dh281,000.
“We have been delighted with the Falcon Scholars who have joined the Rhodes community to date, and it is a very positive step that the scholarships can now be known as the Rhodes Scholarships for the UAE,” said Charles Conn, warden of Rhodes House in Oxford.
“This further marks our commitment to the expansion of the scholarships, and the goal of facilitating truly international conversations and collaborations here in Oxford and beyond.”
Two NYU Abu Dhabi students will start at Oxford this year: Arfa Rehman, who is studying social research, public policy and visual arts; and Hamel Al Qubaisi, who is studying political science.
“I am delighted that our students will be able to contribute to this growing fraternity of talented leaders who can play an active role in building a better future for their societies,” said Zaki Nusseibeh, a selection committee member and cultural adviser at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs.
Rhodes Scholarships are postgraduate awards for outstanding international students to continue their studies at Oxford.
Established in 1902 with a bequest from Cecil Rhodes, the scholarship is the oldest and most prestigious international graduate scholarship programme in the world.
Although many Rhodes Scholars go into private business or the law, the scheme’s original aim was to promote civic leadership, and several scholars have gone on to lead governments.
They include Bill Clinton of the US, Bob Hawke and Tony Abbott of Australia, Wasim Sajjad of Pakistan, John Turner of Canada and Dom Mintoff of Malta.
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