The Rhodes Trust has announced the reinstatement of a Rhodes Scholarship for Singapore. Young people aged 19-25 from Singapore will be eligible for the new Scholarships when annual applications open later this year. Detailed eligibility criteria will be published soon at www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/apply. This historic event has been made possible by the support of APS Asset Management which is chaired by Mr Raymond Lim, a Rhodes Scholar who studied for a BA in Jurisprudence at Oxford and an LLM at Cambridge under the Scholarship.
The new Singapore Scholarship is part of a wider geographic expansion of the Rhodes Scholarships. The total number of Scholarships awarded each year has increased in recent years from 83 to 100 each year, including new Scholarships in China, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Palestine, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and West Africa. This increases the number of Rhodes Scholars studying at the University of Oxford at any one time to approximately 250. The expansion into these regions marks a historic moment for the Rhodes Trust, and further strengthens the international Rhodes community.
Mr Charles Conn, CEO of the Rhodes Trust, commented: “Our aspiration is to identify and support innovative, energetic and ethical young leaders in Singapore. We see the value of additional cultural diversity in our cohorts of Scholars every day and they learn from each other in profound ways. The new annual Rhodes Scholar from Singapore will contribute significantly through sharing their skills, experiences and energy with their peers at Oxford and we look forward to welcoming them to Rhodes House in October 2019.”
Agreeing, Mr Lim, a former Cabinet Minister in the Singapore government, said, “Our life experiences help to shape us. The Rhodes Scholar and Oxford communities were so for me. These communities were open-minded, inclusive and welcoming of diversity. An enlightened internationalism that was intoxicating. Was this the idealism of youth? Yes, absolutely. But then without this, we would all be poorer for it. For me, it felt in many ways – intellectually and emotionally – like a homecoming. And just as I was uplifted and better for this experience afforded by the Rhodes Trust and my time at Oxford, so too I wish the same for future generations of my fellow Singaporeans.”
The Rhodes Scholarship for Singapore was suspended in 2006 due to funding constraints. APS Asset Management has gifted an endowment of £4m to reinstate it. Mr Wong Kok Hoi, Founder and CEO of APS Asset Management said, “We are both happy and proud to be able to help reinstate the Rhodes Scholarship for Singapore. Our youth are our future and we are glad to be able to play a part in giving them this wonderful opportunity.”
