105 exceptional students representing 38 nationalities have won the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for the class of 2024. The Scholars will study 71 different courses across subjects including politics & international studies, biological sciences, and engineering at the University of Oxford.
The students will be heading to Oxford University in October 2024 to undertake fully funded post-graduate studies and become part of a strong community of people determined to make a positive difference in the world.
The Rhodes Scholarship is the world’s preeminent and oldest graduate fellowship, based at the University of Oxford since 1903.
Students can apply for a Rhodes Scholarship via specific constituencies, and also from anywhere in the world through the Global Scholarship. This year’s cohort of Scholars include Nia Robles Del Pino, who is from an indigenous Andean community in Argentina, and Sapolnach Prompiengchai, who is from Thailand. They are the first ever Rhodes Scholars to be selected from their countries through the global constituency.
Nia is a physicist who aims to improve understanding of the universe through her work in theoretical physics. At the University of Oxford, Nia will continue her research in fundamental physics and work in the Mathematical Physics Group.
Sapolnach is a neuroscientist who brings an interdisciplinary approach to understanding mental health. His command of the subject, collaborative spirit, and an exceptional ability to distil technical concepts into non-expert language stand to create new pathways for understanding mental health in the current era.
The Rhodes selection process aims to choose young people with proven academic excellence who also show exceptional character, leadership, the energy to use their talents to the full and a commitment to solving humanity’s challenges.
The selection process includes a rigorous review process before the finalists interview with a selection committee composed of renowned experts and leaders in diverse fields.
Rhodes Scholars form a lifelong community of people in many fields and careers, united by a commitment to having a positive impact on the world. Scholars from all around the world have gone on to pursue careers across the humanities, STEM, politics, and activism. They include former US President Bill Clinton, renowned Indian constitutional lawyer and LGBT rights activist Menaka Guruswamy, and leading immunologist and geneticist Professor Sir John Bell.
This year’s winners continue the fantastic legacy of Scholarship and excellence. Biographies of all Rhodes Scholars selected can be found here.
Dr Elizabeth Kiss, CEO of the Rhodes Trust, said:
“We are excited to see the tremendous talents of this year’s Rhodes Scholars Elect, who come from countries all around the world. We know from 120 years of bringing exceptional people to Oxford to study and build a dynamic global community, that when unlikeminded but likehearted people come together, we can forge brighter futures for everyone.”
By 2028, the Rhodes Trust aims to raise £140m to grow the number of Scholarships worldwide from 100 to 125 a year. The organisation also plans to increase the number of Scholarships per year for students from the African continent to 32 by 2028 – a key part of the Trust’s commitment to widening its applicant pool and promoting greater equity in the distribution of its Scholarships across the globe.
The Trust is committed to ensuring that the world’s diversity of background and thought is reflected and it has expanded the Rhodes Scholarship to include Global Scholarships and new constituencies in recent years, including West Africa, East Africa, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, Syria, Jordan Lebanon & Palestine and the United Arab Emirates. Today, students from anywhere in the world can apply to the Rhodes Scholarship through specific constituencies or the Global Scholarship.
The applications for the 2025 Rhodes Scholarships will open in June 2024. More information about the Scholarship application be found at: https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/scholarships/the-rhodes-scholarship/.
