Weidenfeld Scholarships at University of Oxford

Brief description:

Launched in 2007, the programme aims to cultivate the leaders of tomorrow primarily from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and North Africa. It provides outstanding university graduates and young professionals with:

•  The opportunity to pursue graduate studies at the University of Oxford

•  Scholars also participate in a comprehensive programme of leadership-skills development, long-term mentoring and networking (including communication skills courses, pro-bono projects and involvement in a high-level speaker and seminar series)

The Weidenfeld Leadership Programme includes a Leadership and Public Policy off-site retreat with seminars and workshops on political philosophy and leadership development; a Speakers’ Series at Oxford organised by the scholars focusing on relevant issues; a European Study Tour; engagement in the Institute’s projects and conferences; communications courses; and long-term mentoring.

The programme is managed by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), a London-based policy organization. The scholarship is tenable only at the University of Oxford.

Host Institution(s):

University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Field(s) of study:

This scholarship is available for all degree bearing courses, with the exception of PGCert and PGDip courses.

Number of Awards:

Approximately 40 overall (of whom 5 will be US candidates).

Target group:

Nationals of one of the following countries:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, FYR Macedonia, Georgia, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Mongolia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Authority, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uzbekistan, Western Sahara, Yemen.

Scholarship value/inclusions:

100% of university and college fees, and a grant for living costs (the rate in 2011-12 was £13,500)

Awards are made for the full duration of a student’s fee liability for the agreed course. If your scholarship is offered for a course lasting more than one year, the continuation of your scholarship each year is subject to an annual renewal process based on satisfactory academic progress.

Eligibility:

Eligible candidates must have an undergraduate degree and be a national of one of eligible countries (see above).

Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they aspire through their professional work to contribute to the public good in their country or region, or on a global basis. Applicants must be able to demonstrate a connection between their subject of study and their longer-term career objectives.

The scholarships are open to students starting a new course. Students currently at Oxford are not eligible to apply unless they are already a Weidenfeld Scholar. This scholarship may not be held in conjunction with any other awards.

Please ensure you meet the requirements for entry to your course, including English language requirements. See the Course Guide for more information.

Applicants should be intending to return to their country of ordinary residence following their studies.

Application instructions:

Apply at the same time as you apply to Oxford by selecting Weidenfeld Scholarships and Leadership Programme in the Funding Section of the University’s Graduate Application Form. Candidates should apply by Application Deadline 2 (6 January 2012 for Medical Sciences and Philosophy; 20 January 2012 for all other subjects).

In order to be considered for this scholarship, you must submit your application for graduate study by the January deadline (20 January 2012) and you must have secured a place on your chosen programme of study by the expected final decision date (16 March 2012). Applications with an outstanding admissions decision after this date, or applications which are re-evaluated against the later March deadline field, are not eligible for scholarship consideration.

You must also complete a Weidenfeld Scholarship Questionnaire and upload it together with your Graduate Application Form by the application deadline in order for your application to be complete.

If you do not apply in full by the deadline, you will not be considered for the scholarship, even if you have selected Weidenfeld Scholarships and Leadership Programme on the Graduate Application Form.

It is important to visit the official website (link found below) for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.

Website:

Official Scholarship Website:  http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/studentfunding/scholarship_profiles/weidenfeld.shtml