In one of their first joint ventures to expand the number of African scholars in the world’ best institutions, the Oxford Africa Society (OAS) and the African Society of Cambridge University (ASCU) hosted a ground-breaking scholarship webinar on November 14, 2024.
Live- streamed on YouTube, the event brought in an impressive audience of 2,300 and featured panellists Luisa Clarke from the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, Iain Fossey and Awah Leonide from the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship at Cambridge, Chimwemwe Manyozo from the Africa Oxford Initiative and Kim Edwards from the Refugee and Black Academic Futures Scholarship at Oxford.
The panellists provided tailored advice to not only help attendees navigate the illusive application process, but also to provide assurance and support for the unique challenges Africans have in applying for elite institutions. This included a discussion on fee waivers, protocols for applicants with disabilities, advice for applicants with families and managing nerves when moving to a new country.
The Significance of This Event
The webinar aimed to level the playing field in application processes and scholarship access for Africans. The panellists shed light on the numerous barriers to education and the challenges the average African applicant faces, leaving attendees with a deep sense of gratitude and renewed confidence. In particular, the discussion about how to identify and apply for scholarships offered targeted advice that addresses major concerns about funding.
There is an increasing demand from talented Africans to enter academic spaces overseas, and institutions like Oxford have acknowledged the need for continental voices and intelligence to contribute to global knowledge production. This recognition is evident in programs like the Afox initiative, which has provided an impressive 71 scholarships to African students.
Moreover, the excitement and high level of engagement at the event reflected the strong interest among African scholars in learning about these processes and excelling within international academic spaces.
Looking Ahead, Acknowledging The Future
Collaborative events like this raise awareness and inspire prospective students to put in applications and find their footing I the global sphere of knowledge production. Following the event, both the OAS and ASCU pledged to continue collaborating and create more events to bridge the gap for African scholars
By 2050, the majority of the world’s student age population will be situated in Africa. The ideas, knowledge and inventions coming out of institutions will play a major role in impacting the future of the world. Recognizing this reality and continuing to support African scholars will ensure progress, learning and equality.
You can watch the full panel on YouTube here.
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