Principles, Goals and Actions

We are building a future where Scholars, Fellows, and visitors from Oxford and around the world experience us as a physical and virtual community that critically engages difficult and contested legacies, facilitates thoughtful debate and dialogue, approaches the past with an open mind and a deep commitment to free inquiry and historical rigour, and seeks constructive ways to heal, reconcile and repair inequities through our symbols, governance, policies and practices. 

To build our capacity for inclusive leadership and anti-racist action, we continue to: diversify the Trust’s staff, Trustees, and selection committees; develop systems, policies and practices to monitor racial and other forms of equity; and provide regular learning and training opportunities for Scholars in Residence, staff, selectors, and alumni. By bringing more diverse perspectives to the table and equipping ourselves with more knowledge and skills to identify and disrupt unjust social hierarchies, we will become a better organisation and enhance our ability to develop 21st century leaders who are change agents for good.

The original distribution of the Rhodes Scholarships reflected Cecil Rhodes’ vision of a global society centred around the British Empire.  Today, thanks to the generosity of many donors, the Rhodes Scholarships have become increasingly global.  But there is still much work to be done to promote greater equity in their distribution within and across constituencies.  We are raising £75M to increase the number of fully endowed Rhodes Scholarships for students from Africa from 17 to 32 per year, resulting in a cohort of up to 100 African Rhodes Scholars in Residence at any one time. We are also raising funds to endow more Scholarships across the Global South, including Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, working toward our goal of having 125 Rhodes Scholarships awarded per year by our 125th anniversary. And while the composition of recent Rhodes classes continues to become more diverse, we will continue to assess the diversity of our applicant pools across all constituencies, identify gaps, diversify and train our selectors, and reach out to students from historically marginalised communities or overlooked institutions.

We aim to enhance the Oxford experience for Scholars who are Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Colour, those who live with disabilities, are of other marginalised identities or from disadvantaged backgrounds. We strive to provide these Scholars with academic, financial, personal and/or career support as best possible. We facilitate mentorship, proactively ask Scholars to raise their challenges, and work with colleges and University to develop clearer systems for reporting and responding to incidents of racial bias and abuse and other forms of bias, discrimination or harassment. As we continue to recruit Scholars who combine academic distinction with a commitment to truth, a passion for service to others, and a willingness to “fight the world’s fights,” we are taking steps to enable Scholars of all backgrounds to thrive at Oxford and beyond.

From its founding, the Trust has been defined by its close partnership with the University of Oxford and its colleges.  In our second century, we have launched four new core partnerships that develop exceptional leaders across different life stages and areas of focus:  The Mandela Rhodes Foundation, Atlantic Institute, Schmidt Science Fellows, and Rise. We are collaborating with each of these partners to identify and pursue efforts that critically engage legacy and promote equity and inclusion. We are also seeking closer ties and opportunities to promote equity through partnerships with people, neighbourhoods, and community organisations in the city of Oxford.