STANDING UP FOR THE WORLD

Take a moment to listen to #RhodesScholar Josh Babu singing an Adele cover in the beautiful acoustics of the #RhodesHouse rotunda.

Josh is currently recording a pop album about the queer experience, blending his passions for music and LGBTQ+ justice.

Follow @joshbabu_ on Instagram for more! 🎶

Meet our Class of 2025 #RhodesScholar Elect for Malaysia! 👏

Jia Da Hoh works as a Data Analytics Consultant with a strong passion for social enterprise. He is the co-founder of Edulab, a social enterprise focused on enhancing English literacy through game-based learning, and serves as the Youth Council President for Regenerasi, an NGO dedicated to ESG initiatives. Outside of work, he enjoys swimming, playing chess, and sharing good meals with family and friends.

Congratulations, JD! 🎉

Universiti Putra Malaysia

💧 Ahead of World Water Day on 22 March, we are celebrating #RhodesScholar Ndjodi Ndeunyema, who is using the power of the law in securing access to safe and clean water for all.

Ndjodi’s doctoral thesis and subsequent book develop the argument for a court enforceable human right to water in the Namibian Constitutional context through the use of the African value of Ubuntu, meaning “I am because we are”. The term emphasizes the interconnectedness of individuals and the relevance of collective well-being. 🌐

🏆 For his work, Ndjodi was awarded the inaugural Conference of Constitutional Jurisdictions of Africa (CJCA) Thesis Prize 2024, along with a financial endowment of €10,000 distributed equally amongst the four winners.

In December 2024, he also represented Namibia before the International Court of Justice at the Hague, making the case for recognition of the right to water in the context of climate change — a powerful step in global water justice. 🌍⚖️

The Defence Academy of the United Kingdom recently welcomed military and service Rhodes Scholars from the US and Canada to discuss leadership, technology and international security.

“This visit was an incredible opportunity to learn how the UK military blends service and leadership, and how they interface and collaborate with foreign military forces. The lessons we learned built on the character and service strands of the Rhodes curriculum, which made it a special experience to share with other Rhodes Scholars.” 2nd Lieutenant Jupneet Singh US Air Force.

📷Crown copyright

The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship combines financial support with a leadership development programme to challenge, grow, and connect young African changemakers.

We look for young leaders who aspire to The Mandela Rhodes Foundation principles of leadership, reconciliation, education, and entrepreneurship.

We aim to keep Nelson Mandela’s legacy alive by equipping young African leaders with the competence and courage to transform the continent into a place where everyone has equal opportunity to thrive.

Apply and share! bit.ly/MRF2026
Applications close 21 April 2025.

The Scholars' Library series is an opportunity for #RhodesScholars and alumni to come together to present, discover and debate their literary works. Part of our lifelong fellowship programme, this is a monthly series of book talks & events open to the public.

Last month, Professor Keon West (Jamaica & Balliol 2006) visited Rhodes House to discuss his new book ‘The Science of Racism’, in conversation with Klarke Stricklen (Tennessee & Somerville 2022), in which he cuts through divisive anecdotes and rhetoric with rigorous quantitative research to reveal truths about racism. He is also pictured here with members of the Black Association of Rhodes Scholars (BARS).

Keon is a Professor of Social Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, and the President of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. He is recognised for his research on prejudice, sexual orientation and sexual health, and has received numerous awards for his research, teaching, media engagement and social activism. He has also appeared as a psychological expert and presenter on various international media platforms including the BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4, Channel 4 and The Guardian.

This #UniversityMentalHealthDay, listen to #RhodesScholar Bertha Tobias talk about the support available for #RhodesScholars in Oxford, in conversation with fellow Scholar Leago Sebesho.

#RhodesHouse is a welcoming space in the centre of Oxford where Scholars can relax and unwind - and even take a nap!

Here at the Rhodes Trust we have a designated Scholar Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor. Scholars can also turn to college, university and NHS services if in need of some extra support.

#UniMentalHealthDay

Why do our donors give to the #RhodesScholarship? Gratitude, giving back and a belief in the mission of the Rhodes Trust are at the heart of their reasons. Swipe to hear from some of our Scholars Fund donors.

As we wrap up Donor Thank You Week we want to share a final note of appreciation for all our donors who support our #RhodesScholars in Oxford!

Meet our Class of 2025 #RhodesScholars Elect for Pakistan! 👏

Jovera Shakeel, Lahore University of Management Sciences-LUMS: Jovera is pursuing a joint major in Economics and Mathematics. Her area of interest lies in exploring the framework of poverty traps to design programs for the educational and economic integration of low-income communities at the intersection of gender, class, and disability. At Oxford, she is excited to explore the domain of economics, or development economics. At LUMS, Jovera has been working as a Co-Researcher to investigate the role of Pakistan's informal economy in agricultural indicators, as part of a grant given by the university.

Shahmir Aziz, Harvard University: Shahmir is pursuing a Joint Concentration in Biomedical Engineering and Mathematics with a Secondary in Computer Science and a Language Citation in French. His research focuses on patient-centric drug delivery and bionanotechnology. At Oxford, Shahmir plans on continuing his research in bionanotechnology, and on studying diplomacy with a focus on global health to better understand how cross-border ideas in biotech can be cultivated.

Congratulations Jovera and Shahmir!

This Donor Thank You week, we are inviting #RhodesScholars to write a note of thanks to our wonderful donors for making the Rhodes Scholarships possible.

We’re grateful to Joel Nichols (Prairies & St Catherine's 2024), an interdisciplinary artist and Scholar, for creating this postcard depicting the McCall MacBain Hall at Rhodes House for our alumni engagement. 💙

Rebecca Pokua Korang is our Rhodes Art for Global Impact Artist in Residence for 2025, and has taken up her new role within the Rhodes community.

Rebecca, whose residency will reflect on the theme Radical Joy, was selected from more than 1,000 entries by a judging panel which included Royal Academician Rana Begum, performance artist Adelaide Damoah, art critic Tabish Khan and gallerist Julie Taylor.

In the coming months Rebecca will engage with the Rhodes Trust community, and has already spent time in Oxford meeting local art experts. During her visit to Rhodes House in February, Rebecca led an interactive workshop for a group of Scholars, encouraging them to explore tools for cooperation and the practice of performative research as frameworks to cultivate radical joy. Rebecca’s time with the Trust will culminate in an installation at Rhodes House in Autumn 2025.

Reflecting on her time with the Trust so far, and hopes for the year ahead, Rebecca commented: “My stay at Rhodes Trust has been both welcoming and thought-provoking. Engaging with Scholars from around the world, each carrying different inheritances of colonial histories, has deepened my reflections on Rhodes House - its colonial testament and the reverberations of its past in the present. This has brought the concept of hauntology to the foreground, making visible what lingers and refuses to be forgotten, linking the spaces we inhabit, the archive, and history itself. The haunting within colonial archives, such as those of the Pitt Rivers Museum, is both unsettling and deeply engaging. At the same time, I am curious about how we can cultivate radical joy through community and creative practice - as acts of reclamation and transformation.”

Rebecca is a multidisciplinary artist and cultural educator based in Berlin. Her work navigates the intersections of movement, mixed media, and space, using video, sound, and textiles to craft layered narratives that explore the complexities of identity and history. Storytelling lies at the heart of her approach, as she investigates how memories bridge the personal and the collective.

Ashmolean Museum Pitt Rivers Museum