Inside Oxford
President Xi Jinping has used the term ‘Chinese dream’ to describe the country’s aspirations for a better future. The University of Oxford also has a Chinese dream. Donors from Hong Kong and China donors have been responding to opportunities to fund scholarships for those who could then use their Oxford education to further their nation’s rise on the world stage. This year, the generous support of benefactors has allowed the University to significantly increased funding opportunities for students from China and Hong Kong.
A quick look at the statistics shows that there are almost 1000 students studying at Oxford who come from China and Hong Kong, the largest source of students outside of the US and the UK itself. Receiving an offer to study at Oxford is a life-altering opportunity, but too many students from China and Hong Kong are not able to take up on their offers because they simply cannot afford to without financial support. Currently there are fully-funded scholarships for only 5% of this student body, which are dedicated to those who come from China and Hong Kong. To address this, the University has been working closely with philanthropic individuals and foundations who have a deep desire to invest in the education of talented students from this region.
Oxford Vice-Chancellor, academics and staff members in Oxford with Ms Whitney Duan, Director-general of the Kai Feng Foundation.
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Vice-Chancellor with Dr Deng Wei, Chairman of Bright Oceans Corporation in Beijing.
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The beginning of the academic year is a meaningful time for the University, as it sees existing scholarships funded by donors in Hong Kong and China, such as the Oxford- Kaifeng Graduate Scholarships, the Oxford-Creat Graduate Scholarships and the Rhodes Scholarship for Hong Kong being translated into real student experiences.
Dr Wu Xu, CEO of Creat Group with Creat Scholars Yip Ma Wa and Lu Xinqing and Oxford staff members and alumni volunteers at Oxford.
This year, the University is also delighted to announce the launch of several new scholarships. The first university administered undergraduate scholarships for students from China have been made possible by the Bright Oceans Corporation based in Beijing, while the first undergraduate scholarships for students from Hong Kong has been funded by The D. H. Chen Foundation.
For graduates, the Rhodes Scholarships have been extended to include four students per year from China, while the Hong Kong Jockey Club, one of Hong Kong's premier philanthropic institutions, has partnered with Oxford to establish scholarships enabling three students per year from Hong Kong to pursue postgraduate studies and leadership programmes at Oxford. Come October 2016, 10 new students from Hong Kong and China will be able to take up their fully-funded places at the University of Oxford.
Launch of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships with the chairman and stewards of the Jockey Club, Oxford Vice-Chancellor and members of the Oxford China Advisory Group.
There is much more work to be done, but with the support and vision of philanthropic partners, the University is well on the way to helping outstanding students from Hong Kong and China realize their Oxford dream.
Written in September 2015